Picking Up The Pieces
by Uzumaki
Summary: What are the consequences of a broken prophecy? It seems SEELE know only too well...
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or GAINAX. But I do have a Persian cat with a bladder problem. Hmmm…. *** **pppssst***  **Hey Anno, wanna swap?  ^-^ 

**Picking Up The Pieces**

The room was fairly large and would been dismissed as a typical Victorian study, lavished with the usual healthy dose of aristocratic extravagance, if it wasn't for one tiny little detail. It was utterly and completely covered in ice. As impossible as it seemed, in a surreal vision of glittering white, jagged icicles hung precariously from the lips of exquisite 18th Century carved cabinets, while pale spreading frost warred against the vibrant colours of a Persian carpet for dominance of the floor. It was as if a fairy tale enchantment had been cast upon the room, or a demented Snow Witch with delusions of being an interior decorator had been let loose on the place.

Icy vapours curled through the air and lingered like lost haunting spirits seeking refuge from the unnatural chill. Of course, the real reason it was so cold had nothing to do with evil spells or crazed witches. The truth was far less whimsical. Unseen behind the walls, specially created pipe like machines regulated the extremely low temperature and faithfully prevented the other occupants of the room, ringing the shelves, from falling prey to the decay of time. That was the point of this artificially created winter. It was really all for them.

Not that they cared. 

Unimpressed, they just adorned the snow-dusted walls of the vast study, their glassy eyes gazing in an eternal expression of bared fangs and claws; and horns and hooves, and fins and scales and fur. The unfortunate residents of a delightful post-Second Impact ark of extinct specimens, forever cryogenically frozen in their own special little slice of death. 

Which was fine as far as the brooding grey haired Cyclops sitting in the middle of the room was concerned. Personally, he enjoyed the atmosphere in this strange museum of sorts. That was why he had it made. It was both an eccentric collector's masterpiece and also somewhere to go to relax and drink expensive schnapps. Today though, he felt like doing something slightly different. 

With the crisp velvet curtains firmly closed over non-existent windows, the light of a projector screen was the only source of illumination in the place. Like the guttering flames of a phantom fire, it seemed to bring an illusion of life and warmth. However, this would make little difference to the watcher nursing his drink. He barely felt the cold. It was a minor miracle that he could feel anything at all these days. The man better known as Keel Lorenz or quite simply 'The Chairman' had sacrificed much to preserve his own body…Such as it was. Still, as the vapours emitting from his lips attested to, he wryly noted that at least he was still breathing and that his "condition" was not without certain advantages… Nothing human could stand being in this room for very long, which was exactly how he liked it. It made this the ideal place to simmer in blissful solitude. Dead men told no tales and the same applied to dead frozen animals. The Chairman was in the perfect company to share old and terrible secrets. Besides, given the circumstances, he was feeling a little nostalgic. He felt like indulging himself and this forbidden film now playing on the screen never failed to move him.

The stars were beautiful… 

Despite the clumsy panning of the camera, the view of the heavens was still breath taking. The flickering of the projector only seemed to enhance their unique shimmering quality.

_…so beautiful…_

As a young boy, Keel remembered that he had taken to climbing the trees that lined his family estate. This had been quite a challenge as they certainly were not saplings. But he persevered. Soon enough, only the towering oaks would do and only at night under a clear twilight sky. Thinking back, it was amazing that he hadn't broken his fool neck, but at the time, as far as his child-self was concerned, it had been worth the risk. It had brought him closer to the stars. This was important because with all the innocent faith a lonely five-year-old boy could muster, Keel had believed with all his heart, that if he could reach high enough and if he could scale the tallest tree, then maybe, just maybe, he might have been able to touch one. Perhaps even hold one like a firefly cupped in his hands. As trite and clichéd as it may have sounded, that was all he had wanted to do. Nothing else mattered. Even then, at such a tender age, he was very set in his ways. 

Now, as a much older man, Keel literally held the whole world in his liver spotted hands. These days, the Powerful Elite danced and dangled from unending puppet strings, while the armies of Mankind marched under his ever-guiding shadow. But even so, despite his supreme dominance, the leader of SEELE was not satisfied. He would never be satisfied. Not when he still turned to the siren song of the twilight sky. However, it was not fireflies that he had in mind. His reasons were far from the child like wonder of those early years. There wasn't an innocent bone left in his body. Now he sought the stars with a nameless hunger that burned through him and branded his soul. Keel had no illusions that he was damned. That was why he still reached for the heavens. They, at least, offered him salvation.

The old man narrowed his eyes behind the visor attached to his face and focused on the screen. The camera finished its panoramic sweep around the star shot blanket of space and settled on a familiar green blue view of the Earth. There had no doubt been a gasp of awe from the cameraman at this majestic sight, but the sound for the recording was lost. Not that it mattered. Keel had been present in the control centre on the day and remembered most of the details. The silence seemed fitting for Man's first and only Apollo 11 Landing of the Moon. The real landing, not that carefully constructed theatre play they had later spoon-fed to the media. One small step for Man, indeed…Only SEELE could appreciate just how significant those tentative opening steps truly were. After all, it was they who specifically orchestrated the whole event. After thousands of years, the sacred Covenant of the Soul had at last crossed the Unattainable Sea. Now they could fulfil the secret promise of the ancient scenario and bring forth eternal enlightenment. Keel recalled the excited tremor he experienced as the spacecraft successfully touched-down. Unknown to all but a chosen few, this was not to have been just a simple exploration of a floating dead rock. It had also been a mission to seek out the Key that would begin it all. A Key that according to the Dead Sea scrolls could only have been found on the moon.

The Chairman absentmindedly sipped from his glass of schnapps, savouring the taste of sweet cloying peaches as he witnessed the Astronauts painfully slow progress towards their fated destiny. One filmed the other with the mounted helmet cameras, sometimes waving encouragingly or pausing to sift grey dirt through bulky glove encased fingers. These two men, whose identity now escaped him, had been chosen as shining examples of Mankind's ultimate achievement. When they got back, they were to be celebrated heroes, whose names would pass into the Halls of Legends. Or so they had been promised. What SEELE had NASA fail to tell them was that they were not going to be coming back and that no one would even know they had ever been away. The ignorance of expendables was indeed bliss.

Now these 'expendables' were carefully moving across the rocky terrain, surveying every minute disturbance they made. They were looking for what they had been trained to look for. Unfortunately, it was something no one had actually seen before. Undaunted, SEELE had instructed them to search for anything unusual. Which had been a long shot considering what they were standing on. Still, there had at least been a little guidance provided by the scrolls that mentioned an 'Adam's Rib', so 'unusual' also meant to keep an eye out for anything bone like or rib shaped. The lips of the watching Cyclops curled in slight amusement. The so-called rib was not quite what they or SEELE had expected.

After a certain amount of pottering about, the investigating Astronauts on the screen suddenly stumbled to a halt and seemed to gesture at something in the distance with animated intensity. The camera view briefly zoomed in on what they saw, momentarily losing its focus and becoming blurry. As the image refocused, the reason for their excitement became clear. There, in the middle of a small crater, no more than perhaps 1,000 yards or so away, stood a very large, very long, very red twin pointed spear. Or to be more precise, as one of the amazed men once whispered, there was a Devil's Pitchfork on the moon. Adam's Rib looked nothing like a rib, not that anyone cared. Keel felt the same tingle of anticipation he had felt all those years ago when he had first set eyes on the spear at the control centre. It was one thing to read about the Myth, but to see it in the flesh was a different thing entirely. It opened new and terrible doors to other dangerous realms of thought. Many men had been driven mad for less. However, for the men of SEELE, it served to bring them closer to their unshakable belief in the ancient scenario. And Keel was no exception. At that moment, like a giant metaphysical 'click', all the pieces seemed to fit. It was as if through out the ever turning infinite passage of time and space, that the spear, Adam's Rib, the Key of Keys, had been waiting just for them, these nameless men, to come and reach out…and set the forces in motion, as preordained. It all seemed to prove that everything was bound to the script the scrolls had written. From the highest shadowy unseen leader of SEELE to the lowest of the insignificant faceless masses, like the unwitting players of some merciless cosmic theatre piece, all were committed to the fate of their individual roles. Just like the Astronaut, currently reaching out to touch the long spear before him, was quickly going to learn.

The Chairman leaned forward without really having the need to. His visor ensured he had the perfect ability to watch the screen, so there was nothing wrong with his eyesight. He only did this for the sake of morbid curiosity. That and the fact he was finally getting to the _good_ part. If the spear had seemed big from a distance, then it practically towered over the two men as they moved closer. Its huge mass swallowed them in its shadow and also allowed the viewer the luxury of studying the fine detail of the staff that seemed to twist in a sculpted replica of a DNA strand. Of course, a closer examination of this strange discovery was going to be needed. Humans could never keep their hands to themselves for long, especially when they were awe struck and struggling to comprehend some great phenomena before them. However, as soon as one of the Astronaut's questing fingers touched the spear, everything changed.

There was a distinct and unexpected shimmer that rippled through the strange red metal and made the explorer draw back his hand in surprise. It was like the spear had burned him. Surprise turned to puzzled shock, as the part the Astronaut had touched refused to leave his fingers and stretched before his eyes with all the stubborn nature of warm taffy. Just as the ramifications for this disturbing event could be considered, the viewpoint of the Astronaut abruptly lurched forward with a sudden savage snap towards the spear. For a few dizzy seconds everything whirled in a confusing blur, until the camera slammed hard and filled the screen with red. Then it burst into static. It was at this point that the Astronaut began to scream.

Although there was no sound for this recording, Keel remembered the scream of this Astronaut quite well. He would remember it for the rest of his days. Not that he was squeamish.  As the leader of a most ruthless organisation, he was no stranger to the screams of grown men. Sometimes he was even the cause of it. The Chairman understood the scale and pitch the human vocal cords could achieve when given the right 'incentive' quite well. He was even a connoisseur of sorts. But this was different. The melody and discordant rapture of human suffering paled in comparison to what this Astronaut's throat was emitting. It was…unique. Keel recalled how the raw symphony had echoed through the control centre and left every man and woman who had heard it, with a pallid sickened expression. Keel included. It was not screaming…it was beyond screaming. The visual contact was never retrieved for the Astronaut, which may have been the only merciful relief that day, if the communication operators had not managed to maintain the second link for his comrade and his camera. Keel watched as the screen switched to the viewpoint of the other man, who had wisely kept his distance and now stood in stunned horror filming the sight before him.

The Astronaut had no head. Or to be more precise, his entire helmet was inside the spear, as if he had decided to dunk his head into the strange soft metal. His hands were gone as well. In fact most of his body had been sucked deep into the thick liquid that moved like the coils of a snake all over its prey. The stuff was _alive. _Now it flowed against gravity and wrapped itself around the rest of the screaming man in an embrace as suffocating as a stricken insect trapped in crimson amber. With a sense of mesmerised wonder, Keel watched as the rest of the white space suit slowly, piece by piece, disappeared into the living pool of red until there was nothing left. Not even his screams. 

_The spear had eaten the Astronaut._

As crazy as that seemed, there was simply no other way to describe it. The spear had eaten the Astronaut and there wasn't a damn thing his companion could do about it. Except perhaps try not to puke. And maybe start running as fast and far as he could possibly get, which much to the Chairman's initial surprise, he actually began to do.

The view spun away from the spear as the camera turned, but just the terrified man took his first giant leap for survival, the ground began to shake under his feet. Unprepared for this, the force of the tremor succeeded in both throwing the hapless Astronaut off balance and smashing his helmet against the sharp rocky ground. This marked the moment where he possibly lost conscious and all his audio communications. Only his camera remained and it offered no answers to what had befallen him. Perhaps by some stroke of very bad luck, the unbreakable clear visor had cracked open, releasing his precious oxygen into the airless atmosphere of the moon. Perhaps he had snapped his neck and now couldn't move, trapped and as good as dead. It really didn't matter to SEELE. At least the camera was still working. There was another burst of static, some flickering and then the distorted broken image focused once more. Conveniently, the Astronaut's limp body had rolled to a slightly slanted, yet better filming angle. Which, thankfully, recorded the reason for the sudden quake.

Slowly and well beyond all sense of logic, the spear was moving. Inch by inch it was dislodging itself from the surface of the moon, as if some vast being was gripping the staff and carefully drawing it out, parting it from the crumbling rock like a twisted alien Excalibur. Through the damaged lens of the shuddering camera, Keel witnessed the long spear continue to climb until the two prongs, almost as long as the stall itself, hung suspended in mid air above the ground. For a few eternal seconds it stayed like that, just hanging there, as it seemed to linger and regard the tiny inferior human crushed below it. Then, as if answering some silent call, it swiftly glided upwards in a graceful arc towards the stars and out of view.

Despite all their wonderful state of the art instruments, SEELE could not trace the spear as it disappeared into space. It was invisible to any and all methods of detection. The only clue that it was actually falling back towards Earth was when one of their satellites registered an impact, then promptly ceased to exist. Of course the scrolls had told them that this is what the spear would do. The blood of the Astronaut, the offering, had contained enough traces of the original maker to trigger the release. Man was after all, the wayward son of Adam. Now with the genetic activation, it sought to return to the source. The Key would lead SEELE to the Gate, just as the Dead Sea Scrolls predicted.

The film on the projector finished and the light of the screen switched off, plunging the Chairman into darkness. However, it did not seem to hinder him as he effortlessly reached for a nearby decanter and refilled his empty glass. The alcohol was as deliciously chilled as it was a few hours ago and Keel settled down into his chair to brood about certain developments since the events of that movie.

It had taken many resources to find that spear, or as SEELE 06 insisted on calling it, the 'Lance of Longinus'. There had been many long years of sacrifice and preparation. After the Second Impact, the transformation of Gerhim to Nerv, the creation of the Soul Gate, the trauma of the Children, the success of Unit 01 and the victories of the Angel War, it had seemed all was going according to the scenario, as it should be. SEELE were so sure nothing could go wrong. They could not fail. Not when they were following the ancient scriptures by the letter. Not after all this time and effort.

Keel sighed deeply, releasing a misty trail of vapours into the icy darkness.

But they had made a grave mistake. They had underestimated their brightest student, Ikari. She and her devoted husband, Gendo Rokobungi, had been their undoing.

Granted, it should not have come as a complete shock that things had gone somewhat awry. As the Angel War progressed, Gendo was rapidly proving to be very untrustworthy, trying to manipulate them so he could implement an agenda all of his own. The man had initially been unaware of Yui Ikari's sacrifice being a part of the plan and despite attempts to appease him with mere snip-its of a tantalising promise, it seemed that temptation had given way to outright betrayal. This became all too clear during the 15th Angel Attack when, against their expressed orders, Gendo used the Second Child instead of the more expendable First. Then, to add injury to insult, he commanded Unit 00 to take the Lance and use it against the Angel. After all the trouble and trauma it had taken to get the Lance of Longinus to them, Gendo in obvious defiance had taken it and cast the damn thing back into the Unattainable Sea. SEELE were not happy. Not happy at all. The man had to pay.

After a long and colourful discussion, the Covenant of the Soul decided to use the 17th Angel against him. Although a little too independent for their liking, they knew Tabris would not resist the call of 'Adam' and hopefully trigger Third Impact under the commander's feet. However, if he should fail, he was to take Nerv with him. Tabris was by far the most powerful of all the Angels. His core destruction would have obliterated any near the vicinity of his detonation. If SEELE could not have their Impact, then no one would.

But things did not quite go according to plan. Tabris failed but he had refused to commit the sin of senseless murder. SEELE should have seen that coming. They had rather spoiled the boy. Of course he wasn't going to blow them all up, the damn Angel _loved_ humans. So Tabris decided to do something else. Something rather earth shattering. He gave the First Child the gift of human emotion. He gave her the power of Free Will. And then Gendo blew his brains out with his gun. Disappointingly, the Angel still refused to detonate his core and simply passed peacefully away in the grip of Unit 01's purple fist. Judging by the report, it was at this point that the commander, fearful of his only chance slipping away, attempted to trigger Third Impact. 

After shooting Dr Akagi, who had tried to stop him and trapping his son with the power of Adam, it seemed nothing would be able to stand in his way. All was utterly lost. But then the First, full of human emotion, surprised him. With newfound defiance she refused to join with Adam and refused to begin Third Impact. By removing the Mask of SEELE from the great white giant, she destroyed the sacred contract of the prophecy. The result was no more Adam, no more Lilith and no more Yui, as what would have befallen Mankind was instead visited upon them. The ability to initiate the Human Instrumentality Project was without question effectively and permanently rendered void. Some time later, SEELE wondered if this was exactly what Tabris had intended when he had given away his little 'gift'. Perhaps Gendo was not the only one they had underestimated. It certainly would not have surprised Keel.

And now here they were, back to square one. Or so it seemed. Keel Lorenz allowed himself a small cold smile. He was a great believer in hedging his bets and had fortunately made preparations should Third Impact fail. He did not agree that all the prophecy fore told would come to pass as flawlessly as walking down one single road. Even the scrolls had hinted of other possibilities within the scenario and the rest of SEELE reluctantly agreed. Once he had let them vent a little, they were only too glad to listen to what he proposed.

Around two days ago, an impressive circle of monoliths hovered above the Chairman sitting calmly at his usual desk.  Despite the old men of SEELE wanting to remain faceless as malevolent floating black tombstones, Keel could not help but imagine them staring with horrified open mouthed expressions of disbelief at the broken Mask of Lilith as it lay on the floor in several large pieces. Its seven eyes cracked and glaring accusingly up at them.

"This is UNACCEPTABLE!" roared the one called SEELE 08, his modified outraged voice rebounding through the walls of the dark meeting room chamber.

SEELE 10 and 07 agreed.

"We demand answers." stated SEELE 04 with a more measured tone.

"How can we fulfil the prophecy now?" demanded an upset SEELE 03. "This was NOT to be!"

SEELE 06 sighed in his usual passive way, "It seems our little Trojan horse has some what back fired rather severely..."

SEELE 12 snorted.  "_That's_ an understatement!" Apparently he felt too tired and irritable to be cryptic and mysterious.

"But it is true," countered SEELE 09, not understanding the sarcasm, " The 17th has defied us and undone us all."

" I never did trust the 17th…" muttered SEELE 12. "…Creepy little git."

" It matters not." Keel interjected and all the monoliths fell silent. " Tabris was a mistake and now what is done is done. The 

tools of Third Impact are gone. But Eva still remains and with it our deliverance."

"That may be so," agreed SEELE 02 after a pause, " But what of the Soul Gate? Unit 01 has lost its soul. It is useless now."

"True." said Keel." However, there are other souls and other Units."

"Ah yes," SEELE 06 whispered. " The spare…"

"The MP Evas?" asked SEELE 03, a little confused.

"No. He speaks of the Vaterliebe Project." SEELE 02 explained, and then directed his attention to Keel. "I am unsure this would be a wise course of action. That tool is damaged."

"Yes," agreed Keel, "But not beyond repair. Recent reports have indicated that the conditioning still holds. The Angel did not penetrate the core. The Vaterliebe Key and Gate status can still be yet achieved. Which, as I am sure you are no doubt aware, is now our most pressing concern, _Two_."

 The man behind the monolith of SEELE 02 decided not to reply. Certainly he could counter that this particular cure was just as deadly as the ailment, and would have strongly justified his many reservations against the Vaterliebe Project. But it was obvious that Keel had already made up his mind about this, especially when he was being addressed by his numerical designation in that tone. There would be no point in arguing for now, so he would play nice and bide his time like always.

If nothing else, SEELE 02 was very, very good at the waiting game.

"Then, if we turn to Vaterliebe, does that mean we turn also to the possibility of the Rapture?" inquired SEELE 04 actually sounding quite eager.

"Yes," confirmed Keel, "The ceremony of the Red Moon is our next step under these circumstances. That is what Vaterliebe was created for."

"Hmmm…Then I am sure the good Doctor will be delighted to hear that." SEELE 06 replied with a hint of amusement. "After all, Instrumentality hindered her progress."

"Then we will begin the necessary arrangements." Keel stated, and pitched his voice to the rest of the monoliths. "My fellow devoted Servants of the Soul, although this is indeed a dark time for us all, we are not as hobbled as we may think. Granted the Third Impact is lost to us now, but it will not remain so. The means of another trial will soon be upon us. The failure of Third Impact has set forces beyond our control in motion. As the scrolls fore warned, Mankind will once more undergo yet another Judgement from the Stars."

"Then it is true?" blurted SEELE 07, "More of them will come?"

"Yes." Keel growled, unhappy about the interruption, "That is the consequence of a broken prophecy and the new path to our success. Although we have been given a reprieve, the Balance must be addressed and so Mankind must be ready. Through Eva and Vaterliebe we will create a new Key and a new Gate. We shall not fail in this endeavour. If we cannot have Instrumentality, then we shall embrace the Rapture. Ultimately, the scenario will NOT be denied."

Although there were mutters of approval from all sides, the Chairman sensed that not every one was convinced. But if they had any doubts, they kept it to themselves.

"Then we must be prepared." SEELE 05 stated, obviously a believer. "This time, we shall ensure the UN will take the correct steps to protect our interest. We shall tighten our leash on Nerv until they choke."

All the monoliths agreed.

"Yes," said SEELE 11, "We shall choose our allies with more care. We hold all the pieces now. Everything will go according to OUR schedule and not by the manipulations of a traitor."

All the monoliths knew exactly who he was talking about and was glad he was suffering.

"Then it is agreed," Keel announced, "This is not an end or indeed a beginning, it is a crossing. We are SEELE. We are the Seekers and Servants of the Soul. We have endured for millennia and we will endure forever more. Our path is set. So be it."

"So be it." The rest chanted. Then with a sense of growing anticipation beating in their black empty hearts, the men behind the monoliths faded out and were gone.

Now Keel sat in his dark icy kingdom and drank his schnapps. According to a brief glance at his watch he had a few hours left before the next meeting. This would be the beginning of the 'recruitment' phase. He was looking forward to it, but he still had a little time to indulge himself. With the switch of a button the screen light flickered back on and the projector began to run the film again. Keel sat back with his drink, then with a little after thought, raised his glass in a mock toast towards the stars on the screen.

"To other Impacts." he whispered and settled down to enjoy the show.

**Author's Mad Ramblings** - *phew*  I don't know about you but I'm _shattered_. This is my first fan ficcy and I think I've just about killed me muse…                    

* holds tiny limp plump fairy by her teensy-weensy ragged wings and starts vigorously shaking her *  Come on you…you're supposed to inspire me! Inspire me, damn it! Inspi-

* the wings rip off the fairy and she drops like a cute little stone, until she hits the ground with a sickening bone like crunch*

Um…oops…

Er…Anyway…I'm gonna go find a mop or something…Please feel free to drop a review while I'm away. My poor dead squished muse would thank you.   ^-^;

 *Ewwww*…I've got fairy guts on my shoe….


	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Evangelion or GAINAX, Sam-I-Am. And I do not like green eggs and ham.^-^

Picking Up The Pieces – Part2 

_Hey Hey I saved the world today_

_Everybody's Happy Now_

_The Bad Thing's Gone Away_

_And Everybody's Happy Now_

_The Good Thing's Here to Stay_

_Please let it stay…_

                                  Eurythmics- I saved the world today

Although the buildings of Tokyo-3 stood triumphant in the shadow of despondent ruin and twisted metal, the typical aftermath of yet another destructive day, the survivors were far from happy. Despite the apparent victory, the main damage to the concrete and streets that now looked gouged apart in deep wide furrows, like citywide battle scars, were hardly a cause for celebration. Especially when, rather embarrassingly, they were not even the work of the attacker. The same applied for the roads and shops that populated the busy market area and now appeared to have been crushed by tanks or blown to bits by enemy missiles. Which would have been bad enough, except missiles did not leave footprints the size of small oil tankers on the flattened remains of what was once your brand new car…and your house…and your school…and your entire neighbourhood. In fact, missiles might have been infinitely more preferable.

All in all, the Evas had done a better job than the Angels. 

But at least the city was saved…well, what was left of it anyway.

While a long sleek black limousine coasted silently through the empty streets, the man reluctantly sitting in the back seat was experiencing an intense feeling of déjà vu. He supposed that was to be expected. After all, Kouzou Fuyutsuki had been kidnapped before. The former Sub-Commander of Nerv vaguely wondered if this was going to become a habit of SEELE.  He had no illusions it was those cantankerous old men who had organised this little surprise trip. SEELE obviously had an itch for some payback and with Gendo being beyond them, he was the next best thing. This time though, they were being sloppy. There was no blindfold and he wasn't even handcuffed, not that it would have made much of a difference. The side doors were locked and only the driver, a.k.a.-his kidnapper, had the power to open them. Despite the distressing situation, Fuyutsuki mused if he should feel insulted at the lack of kidnappers and security. SEELE apparently did not think him worth the bother. Of course, that hadn't stopped them sending one of their agents to intercept him at Nerv and bundle him into the backseat of a sinister black car at gunpoint. 

Kouzou sighed and tried to see out the side windows. Unfortunately the smoky-misted glass obscured any sight seeing attempts and after a few minutes of squinting he gave up. His reflection mirrored the frown of his growing unease and unwanted dark thoughts. Perhaps this is what he deserved. After all, he had not exactly been an innocent bystander. Not when you considered the man he was standing by.

 Ironically, Fuyutsuki had never wanted to be anywhere _near_ Gendo. His cold sardonic ex-student radiated danger right from the day he met him. He just didn't appeal to the older professor's introverted gentle manner and the less he saw of Mr Rokobungi and those dark sunken eyes of his, the better. However, things soon changed and suddenly personal opinions didn't seem to matter anymore. Second Impact uncovered a terrible truth about the world and it was something he could not ignore. Mad men ran it. Devious manipulative puppet masters and no one could touch them. No one that was, except perhaps their most trusted pawns, Gendo and Yui Ikari. 

Fuyutsuki felt a pang whenever he thought of Yui. Beautiful and brilliant Yui Ikari. She and Gendo had a plan and despite certain reservations, Fuyutsuki had respected what they had tried to achieve. If it had all gone well, they would have cheated the devils out of their due right under their damn noses. However, the 'accident' happened and Gendo's own twisted desire warped and perverted the original idea. As Gendo grew darker in his exploits, so did the older man's dread. Here was a devil that was no better than the original monsters they were supposed to be defying. Their game had changed and Yui's dream had turned into a nightmare. But by then it had been far, far too late. All Kouzou could do was walk arm in arm with Gendo and step over the ever growing pile of bodies. There was no turning back because the outcome in the end had promised that it would all be worthwhile. It was this hollow promise that became his constant inner mantra. 

_It would all be worthwhile_. 

He had to follow the scenario and say nothing.

 _It would all be worthwhile_. 

He saw no evil, heard no evil, spoke no evil. Even though he was saturated in evil. 

_It would all be worthwhile._

The suffering of the Children, the fall of the Akagi family, the abominations in the name of the progress of science…To make all those deaths MEAN something…

_It would all be worthwhile._

He remained Gendo's loyal friend. 

The road to Hell was indeed paved with good intentions. And now, here he was, literally travelling to such a destination. Or he might as well be. 

Suddenly, his morbid metaphorical road began to get a little bumpy and jerked Fuyutsuki out of his thoughts. The car was running over some uneven surface and seemed to be slowing down. The tires rolled across what must have been rocks, making Kouzou grip the leather of his seat as it shuddered slightly. A few minutes more and the car turned, then slowed to a stop. Although he had promised himself that he was going to be brave and accept whatever awaited him with dignity, the ex-professor found he was gripping his seat even tighter at the prospect of getting out. Before he could dwell on it, he heard the driver shut off the engine and step out the car. Gravel crunched under rapidly approaching footsteps and the old man couldn't help but flinch when his door sprang open courtesy of the kidnapper. 

Fuyutsuki looked up at the man who had so easily spirited him away from Nerv and thought of Kaji. Certainly, he was roughly the same height and build, even quite possibly the same age, but that was where their similarities ended. Unlike the scruffy double agent, this man was dressed impeccably smart, the midnight blue tone of his suit seemed especially fitting against his deep dark coffee coloured skin. An immaculate short-cropped black head of hair framed a firm but friendly clean-shaven face, which now regarded him with an air of patient understanding.

"Please come with me, Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki. It would not be wise to keep them waiting."

Although he was obviously not Japanese, he spoke with smooth fluent efficiency. Warily, the older man got out and took a shaky step away from the car, squinting at the sudden brightness of the outside world. Kouzou's eyes narrowed as his sight adjusted to the light of a dappled sunrise shimmering on the lake before him. He knew this place well. This was the result of Unit 00's self-detonation during the 16th Angel attack. A beautiful newly created landmark that seemed to signify the peace that followed oblivion. The kidnapper walked ahead, unaffected by the landscape and continued to the edge of the lapping water. Fuyutsuki briefly considered his options, but because he was in the middle of no-where, with no weapons and no means of contact, he found that he only really had one choice. He reluctantly followed the younger man.

By the time he stood at the edge, the sub-commander was very confused. He had been expecting to be dragged off to some torture chamber or simply taken away and shot. Isn't that what they did to all their scapegoats? This lake, although quiet, was not helping his situation. What was going on? Were they going to drown him? The kidnapper seemed to sense his confusion and turned to give him a reassuring smile. Silently he stretched out his arm and pointed to the middle of the lake. Fuyutsuki frowned as he peered at nothing, looked questioningly at the man then back at the lake. He gasped a little in shock at the sudden appearance of a black monolith floating before him. Then his shock turned into a icy stab of fear as one by one, more monoliths appeared and hovered around him like ominous shadowy slabs. If nothing else, SEELE liked to make an entrance.

Fuyutsuki felt his teeth clench together as he pressed his lips into a thin firm line. He had been under the scrutiny of these powerful men before and had lived to tell the tale. But that was different. They were only interested in Gendo and his secrets. Now this time it was personal and that fact alone did not bode well for him.

"Welcome Sub-Commander Fuyutsuki," the black monolith called SEELE 01 began. "We trust you had a pleasant journey?"

Fuyutsuki fought the cold fire of his emotions churning inside and willed his voice to remain sure and steady. All those years beside Gendo seemed good for something after all.

'_Dignity…take it with dignity…_'

"Well…apart from my abduction, it was fine, thank you." He was inwardly amazed at his own almost flippant tone. 

 "A man with a sense humour…" commented SEELE 06.  Fuyutsuki felt that if the monolith had lips then it would be smiling.

"We apologize for summoning you so suddenly," said SEELE 01, not sounding the least bit sorry, "We trust our escort did not mistreat you in any way?"

Fuyutsuki shook his head. "No. He was fine." Something was wrong here. Why were they so concerned about his welfare?

"Then you must be wondering why you have been brought here," continued the monolith.

"The thought has crossed my mind." Kouzou admitted, wishing for the games to be over.

"It is quite simple, really. We wish to talk to you of matters concerning very old promises."

The Sub-Commander looked puzzled. The monoliths seemed to glower.

"You were privy to much undisclosed information during the Angel Wars, were you not?" SEELE 02 stated testily.

"Information of a very sensitive nature, yes?" SEELE 07 hissed.

Fuyutsuki just nodded not sure where this was heading. Why were they so bothered about the scrolls?  There was no way they could have their precious Third Impact now. It was over. They had lost. If this was truly the end, then at least he could die happy knowing SEELE would soon be joining him. He would gladly take that as his consolation prize.

"Come, come, Professor," sneered SEELE 08, " I thought you were an educated man. We know you can do better than that."

Kouzou inwardly frowned but kept his features masked with his most polite poker face.

"Yes. I know about the scrolls and the prophecy," he replied. "At least the parts Commander Ikari was kind enough to share with me."

A growl rippled through the circle of monoliths.

"Ah yes. Our _dear_ late lamented Commander." SEELE 09 bit out with anger. "He was indeed well versed in the translation of the scrolls. You must have had interesting little talks together…"

Fuyutsuki could almost taste the bitter accusation in the air. "He dropped the odd hint. But nothing substantial until after the fact_."_

_' Not that I could do a damn thing about it anyway_.'

"Hmm. True. He was such a…careful man," agreed SEELE 06. "It was a pity he became a victim of, shall we say, tunnel vision?"

"Yes. A great pity and an even greater disappointment." confirmed SEELE 01. "Tell us, Fuyutsuki. Did Ikari ever mention to you about the consequences of the prophecy should it be broken?"

Kouzou blinked. _This_ was new. "Ah. Not quite." Despite being a fully-grown man, the Sub-Commander couldn't shake the feeling that he was being lead by the hand like a child. A completely and utterly helpless child.

"Then it seems we need to enlighten you."

Suddenly the air shimmered and a huge solid vision of the scriptures appeared in the middle of the monoliths. Although Fuyutsuki couldn't quite read the strange language, he found that the picture below was translation enough. It depicted a scrawled drawing of a red moon raining blood on the screaming people below. It looked like a slice of Hell. A phrase from years pouring over old bibles took voice in his mind.

 _'…And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood…'_

"Is…is this…?" he whispered.

"Armageddon. The Apocalypse. One of many." stated SEELE 01. "This is the next possibility of the scenario. It will come to pass now Third Impact has failed."

 Fuyutsuki visibly paled at this revelation. __

"Instrumentality is void but the events still turn against us," continued SEELE 01. "The war has upset the balance and the failure of Third Impact has opened a window of opportunity for old enemies. One that they will take very soon."

Kouzou licked sudden dry lips. His throat felt constricted. _Very_ constricted. "Do you mean…the Angels?"

SEELE 01 sounded both impressed and grave. "Yes, Fuyutsuki. Mankind will face yet another Judgement and we will all once again be under the tender mercy of the Angels."

"But that's…that's just not possible," the Sub-Commander whispered. "We no longer have Adam, and Lilith is gone…"

"They have new targets now," countered SEELE 09 almost gleefully, "A new purpose with the rise of the red moon. They are the Bringers of our Penance, _old man_. They seek to punish us for our sins. Like the Tower of Babylon they will come and _smite_ us down with the Wrath of Heaven! Had Instrumentality been achieved, it would not have mattered. But now we must pay the price for Man's failed attempt at elevation."

"However, although we share the same fate as those besieged ancient cities of the scriptures, we have an advantage they ultimately did not." SEELE 05 said, sounding slightly less maniacal.

"As in an immensely great advantage." SEELE 12 supplied not wanting to be left out.

Fuyutsuki narrowed his eyes understanding exactly what they meant. "The Evas…"

"Yes, we still hold the Evangelions and through them the only means of our escape." confirmed SEELE 01. "The scrolls indicate we have been given a reprieve. We have until the rise of the red moon before the first Messenger falls from the stars. The Harvest moon."

Fuyutsuki was amazed he was still standing. He could not believe what he was hearing. 

'_Damn you, Gendo. You never told me this!'_

"That is why we must be ready." SEELE 01 continued. "Nerv is the key to defeating the Angels and must be protected. You may have noticed the beginning of our mobilisation of forces at the Geo-Front."

Fuyutsuki nodded. It was pretty hard not to notice a full-blown army parking itself right on top of your doorstep. Bristling with guns, tanks, bombs and god knows what else, it could hardly be called a subtle invasion. In less than two days they took over the Nerv base and placed key personnel within their own command structure. The official important papers they brandished could not be argued with. Although Misato did threaten to break a few heads if any one of the UN goons laid a finger on the Children. Thankfully no one had tested her resolve.

"The UN will protect the Heart of the Geo-Front." SEELE 01 explained. "It is expected that the Angels will attack those that can stand against them and so their target will naturally be Nerv."

'_Naturally_.' Fuyutsuki dryly thought.

"Which now brings us to our most pressing reason why you were summoned here today, Sub-Commander. With the unfortunate…departure of Gendo Ikari, it seems Nerv has an opening for a very important position."   

All of a sudden the air around Kouzou felt very thin.

 "We have watched you, Fuyutsuki," said SEELE 01 in a deceptively warm tone. "We have witnessed how you have dealt with the pressures of human life in your hands. You understand the politics of war. You possess the strength needed to make the necessary decisions and sacrifices to win the coming battles. You have experienced great darkness and ultimately prevailed. I believe I speak for us all when I say you have been found most worthy, Fuyutsuki. And so we ask, will you accept the post of Commander and join us against the Angels once more?"

Kouzou's mind raced. This was not happening. It had to be a dream, a sick horrible nightmare. They were giving him a _promotion_? What the hell was he going to do? Could he go through that entire trauma again?

"We will need an answer now, Fuyutsuki." SEELE 01 prompted. "Alas, time offers one little luxury when it is marching ever closer to Doomsday."

Fuyutsuki closed his eyes and focused his thoughts. Do or die. He had no doubt he was a dead man if he chose to decline SEELE's 'generous' offer. That thought alone made him very close to just giving up and throwing it back in their faces. But he had a problem. He didn't want to die. Not now. Not after what he just heard. Not when he had a chance. 

What would Gendo do?

Fuyutsuki opened his eyes and gave a little mental grin. It was the road to Hell indeed.

"I apologise for my hesitation. This was most…ah…unexpected."

Kouzou willed his heart to stop thundering in his chest. It would not do to keel over with a stroke at this time. No matter how tempting

"However, I understand the importance of this offer," he continued, bowing with reverence to the black monoliths, "And I humbly accept the duties invested to me as Commander of Nerv."

SEELE rumbled in what he hoped was approval.

 "Very good." said SEELE 01. "You have chosen wisely Fuyutsuki. We will expect great things from you. Do not give us cause to regret this decision." 

The new Commander stood very tall before them. He clasped his hands tightly behind his back to stop them shaking.

"Of course. I will not disappoint you."

SEELE 01 seemed satisfied with this admission of loyalty and turned to new matters of attention.

"Now, we believe an introduction is in order."

The kidnapper, who had been standing quite still, moved directly towards the older man. "Commander Kouzou Fuyutsuki, this is David Molinari." The kidnapper respectfully inclined his head. "He is your new second in command and represents both UN and Nerv interests. You should find him most beneficial during the up coming war." Molinari offered no comment and just politely waited while SEELE 01 continued their instructions.

"When you return to your office, you will be de-briefed on the upcoming events and how you should prepare. Sub-Commander Molinari will provide you with guidance in regards to the alternative scriptures. A copy will be waiting for you. Tell no one but those under direct clearance what they contain. The scenario has changed. Our goal is no longer Instrumentality. It is simply survival."

Fuyutsuki nodded. "I understand." He felt both blessed and cursed by this strange turn of events.

"Then go now, Commander. We will expect favourable news when we next meet again."

The man known as Molinari took that as his cue to bow and leave. Fuyutsuki without another word followed his lead, walking back on legs that felt stiff and unreal. 

The monoliths seemed to linger as they watched the two men return to the car. Then, with a virtual sigh they disappeared back into the void, taking their apocalyptic vision with them.

Only SEELE 01 remained.

"One down…" Keel whispered, then faded as the car drove away and out of sight, into the bright horizon of a coming new day.

**Author's Mad Ramblings-** *Yippee!* Another chapter down. This one has actually been sitting on the ol' hard drive since the dawn of time…so it's nice to see it finally out and about. 

*waves it off in a motherly fashion* 

Run my little chapter! Run! Be free!

Anyway, thank you for the reviews. I'm glad you guys are enjoying this as much as I am writing it! Although I hope you don't mind me beating you senseless with my great big foreshadowing stick. It just wouldn't be Evangelion without it! ^-^;

Oh…and…um.. to answer the question..I think Vaterliebe means something like "Father's Love" or maybe "Love of the Father or Parent". But please don't quote me on that! ^^; 


	3. Part 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or GAINAX.  In fact I'll be lucky if I can even pronounce them correctly!^-^;

**Picking Up The Pieces – Part 3**

_Would I lie to you?_

_Would I lie to you honey?_

_Now would I say something that wasn't true?_

_I'm asking you sugar_

_Would I lie to you?_

                                    Eurythmics- Would I Lie To You?__

Doctor Ritsuko Akagi, ex-Technical Supervisor of Project E and one time polymath genius, was sitting with her leg in traction, bored out of her brilliant mind. Since the 'incident' the doctor had been sent to a special prison hospital and was now currently not enjoying her own company. Her body hurt and despite the heavy-duty painkillers, the dull throb refused to completely leave her. On top of that, the gown they insisted she wear was polyester, which made her back itch, and just recently, she had made the unpleasant discovery that there was no nicotine gum left. At all. Which, as Misato would say, really, _really_ sucked. Still, she had to admit, it was better than the alternative.

She should have been dead.

Gendo wasn't kidding around when he shot her. He had aimed to kill. But wonders of wonders here she was, still alive and marginally kicking. Ritsuko winced at the thought of her poor shattered right leg doing anything of the sort. That was courtesy of his first bullet, a token of his love, it tore right through her femur like a hot knife through butter. The second though, hit her in the chest before she even had time to blink. That one was the keeper. Or should have been.

Vaguely, Ritsuko remembered the sensation of floating, tasting far too much blood and hearing the little whispering voices of her own analytical mind coldly diagnosing how she was going to die.

_'Depending how close the bullet was to the heart, and it was very close Ritsy, a lung could be punctured, and/or one of the great vessels surrounding the heart, (the vena cavas, the aorta, the pulmonary arteries and veins) could be nicked or lacerated. Bad, bad, bad…  Injury to one of the great vessels is very serious, blood collects in the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs causing "hemothorax"…can't breathe and going into shock…may be a matter of minutes…heh… he broke your heart Ritsy … how oh so fitting…'_

As she succumbed to the delirium, everything had stopped feeling real. She was drowning in her own blood and nothing seemed to matter. There was no pain and time had no meaning. Then just as her vision-tinged black, the light came, and _She_ came with it.

At first Ritsuko thought it was Rei, which was understandable considering the circumstances, but then she noticed the hair colour was wrong and she was wearing a lab coat. Rei _never_ wore a lab coat. Then the dying doctor understood and confusion turned to fear as she stared at the glowing form bending over her.

_Yui Ikari._

The cold dread of seeing a dead woman was immediately replaced by perplexed shock when Yui gently kissed her forehead and sadly smiled. Ritsuko didn't understand. Why was this happening? Why was Gendo's wife even here? Was she dead? Was this Hell? Was this her punishment? Yui shook her head and answered for her.

"No Dr Akagi, you're not dead and you're certainly not in Hell," Her features flickered with deep regret. "I'm so sorry, Ritsuko. It was never meant to be this way. He has taken so much from you, so much that can never be returned." There was a soft haunting sigh. "He was lost you see, like so many others. But now I feel it's time to make amends. So please, Ritsuko, at least allow me to give you this one thing back."

Then, without another word, Yui placed her cool white hands on each side of the stunned blonde woman's face and closed her eyes. Almost immediately the shimmering aura began to seep from Yui's fingertips and into the doctor's skin. It prickled down her spine with an almost maddening gossamer tingle and Ritsuko could do nothing but shiver helplessly in Yui's embrace, bathed in the pure light of another soul. Relentlessly, the raw healing power poured over her body like boiling neon and the prickling became a burning sensation that swiftly intensified and consumed her in a balefire beyond anything she could possibly describe. All she could remember with absolute crystal clarity was- It. Bloody. Hurt.

Then she woke up screaming and Yui was gone.

Now here she was, for better or for worse, alive and although it had only been less than two weeks, in true miracle style, completely healed. Well…maybe not completely, the wounds were gone and the injury was mended, but the pain still remained, especially when she moved her leg. That was why it hung suspended in traction, wrapped in a gauze bandage, though, for all the good it did, she still felt like someone had happily carved the flesh from her thigh right down to the bone with a rusty blade. It was a white throbbing mass of torment and the doctor wondered why her leg wasn't visibly pulsating with every agonising beat of her heart. Tylenol and codeine were Ritsuko's new best friends. It seemed that being pulled out from the brink of death had a catch. But then, what else was new?

With slow stiff movements, Ritsuko leaned carefully to her right and reached for the remote control sitting on her bedside table. Although she was technically still under arrest, being shot had done wonders for her prison arrangements. In comparison to her cold dark dripping cell, she was feeling positively pampered now she had a nice comfy hospital bed and a wall mounted television. At least she wasn't going to be alone with the long drawn creeping hours, as deep as a never-ending day. At least she could distract herself, even if momentarily, from the monotony of brooding about her bleak future. She also needed something to stop herself thinking about cigarettes. Ritsuko was a two pack a day addict and she hadn't had a good lungful since she'd been shot. Now her body was crying out for some nicotine, but she was not allowed to smoke. Which was the only down side to being in a hospital. She didn't know what was worse, the constant phantom pains in her leg or the burning craving for a cigarette. God, she needed that gum! Irritable with the combined might of the two, Ritsuko pointed the controller and hoped for a little escapism.

The last thing she expected to see was a familiar face on the screen. Big, purple and grinning the grin that had haunted her dreams for years. Ritsuko blinked. Then she blinked again. But it was still there. Still grinning. It was like a surreal joke. She tried switching to another channel, then another, and another, but she couldn't get rid of the damn thing. 

What in God's name was Unit 01 doing on television? 

Ritsuko stabbed the volume control up until the tinny voice of the newscaster could be heard.

'…exclusive new developments for Nerv's Open Policy, as the machines that protected our cities now work to rebuild what was once destroyed. Earlier today the pilot of Evangelion Unit 01 demonstrated this by helping the Tokyo-3 construction workers in his own unique fashion.'

Ritsuko could feel her mouth hanging slack as she watched the massive robot carefully hold a piece of scaffolding while using a modified laser gun to weld the metal to the rest of the frame. What would have usually taken days, took only a few minutes for the giant fingers and the doctor couldn't help but think about matchstick model building as a tower began to quickly take shape.

_'Hmmm…Shinji's motor control has improved,'_ commented Ritsuko's detached analytical mind.

_'What the HELL is Nerv playing at?'_ screamed her less science based self.

Then the unmistakable image of Maya Ibuki, in full dress uniform, walked on the screen and Ritsuko's brain promptly lurched to a halt. Maya Ibuki. Now _there_ was a sight for sore eyes. Akagi grit her teeth a little as she leaned closer to the TV and focused on her ex-assistant who was now making some sort of official statement to the press. Despite the tiniest bit of a waver, Ibuki's voice sounded quite crisp and clear up on the podium. The familiar red leaf insignia appeared to outline a halo behind her as she recited her speech.

"In light of the fact that we are no longer at war, we at Nerv believe it is high time the Evangelions should be taken from their negative military context and placed firmly in the public eye. We hope today's demonstration has provided a glimpse into the exciting possibilities this establishment has to offer." 

Ritsuko wryly noted that the Lieutenant still looked every bit the bright and perky friendly face of Nerv that she knew so well. The girl had a certain trusting innocence about her. After surviving the horrors of Second Impact, Maya believed in what the 'establishment' represented and the hope it could bring. Even after discovering the not so happy truth that Nerv was run by total cold-hearted bastards, the girl refused to give up her optimistic nature. In a way Ritsuko envied that luxury. Looking for silver linings had long lost its appeal many bitter years ago. Sleeping with a tyrant would do that to you…

"The progression of our science has taken great leaps thanks to the development of Nerv innovation," Maya continued in an enthusiastic and confident tone. "However, although our advancements in cybernetic application hold an immense global multinational appeal, we also wish to highlight the potential medical and neurological enhancements concerning the utilisation of this technology." The watching doctor raised an unbleached eyebrow. "With the recent development of the neural interface system and, in conjuncture with human genome nano-technology, extremely critical and debilitating injuries such as spinal fractures and even amputated limbs can now be effectively treated. In some recent cases, even fully rectified. With our new Open Policy, we at Nerv hope to continue to provide more positive results from these notable medical achievements." Ritsuko let loose a derisive snort at the laughable notion they cared. "In conclusion, we believe that although initially created as Man's last and only effective defence against the Angels, Evangelions can also offer us not only protection but together, with your support, the beginning of a bright and better enhanced future for us all. Thank you."

Maya then bowed and exited the podium and of course, the press clamoured for more, bristling with microphones and cameras, but they were out of luck. Nerv had all ready given them their quota of bullshit for the day. Ritsuko stared at the screen with a darkly amused expression. It looked like things had changed while she had been away. It was clear that even though the speech was very short, it was also very sweet. It hinted of great things becoming available and a certain change of tactics for the usually secretive organisation. Which was just not Gendo's style. The blonde thoughtfully massaged the bridge of her nose as she contemplated the significance of that. Perhaps, and this made her smile, she was not the only one to have fallen from grace. 

However, what brief, bitter comfort this offered dwindled when she thought of Maya. It was painfully obvious that whoever was running the show, was hoping she would charm the public with that innocent air of hers, maybe even bring a lot more positive PR. Lord only knew, after the travesties of the Angel War, they were far from popular. It was a cunning ploy to use her. Not that there wasn't going to be some sort of sinister ulterior motive behind this fair façade anyway. Suppressing or misleading the inquiring minds of the media was nothing new to Nerv; in fact it was one of Section-2: Damage Control's favourite games. But to see her old technical assistant in this way was rather…disheartening. It seemed nothing was sacred anymore. Unless of course, Maya was telling the truth and Nerv's new 'Open Policy' was, indeed, going to be a wonderful opportunity for the freshly saved souls of Mankind after all.

But Ritsuko highly doubted it.

God, she needed a cigarette! 

The constant gnawing that had been quietly lingering in the back of her mind, now came crashing upon her little rock of resolve, wave upon merciless wave. The shock of seeing Nerv's televised propaganda had upset her. It brought back bad memories. Things she'd rather not dwell on. She felt sick. She felt like crying. Or screaming. Or laughing. Maybe just for kicks, she'd try all four of them. All at once.

Although the TV was still on, Ritsuko was so deeply entrenched in her thoughts she hardly seemed to notice. It was only after the screen abruptly clicked off that she jerked awake from her self-imposed daze. When she did, Ritsuko was surprised to find three people had suddenly, out of nowhere, appeared in her room. This was puzzling because, a) she recently had her check up for the day and b) she was not allowed to receive visitors during her incarceration. Not that anyone gave a flying crap about her anyway. But still…

Ritsuko frowned and began to formulate questions as the newcomers; one nurse and two men dressed as orderlies surrounded her bed and loomed over her. Which made the blonde furrow her brows even more. She did not like to be loomed over. 

Tiny little alarm bells began to ring in her head.

"Good Afternoon, Dr Akagi," the nurse said, nonchalantly placing the TV remote, which she had used, back on the bedside table. "I apologise for disturbing you, but I am afraid my superiors insist that they see you. Today." 

Ritsuko cautiously sat up straighter in her bed, trying not to wince from the stabbing cramp it brought her traitorous leg and looked from one unfamiliar face to the other. 

_'This is wrong_,' her little alarm bells chimed. '_Wrong, wrong, wrong…'_

"I see," she breathed, biting back the surge of unease. "And…when are they coming?"

The nurse smiled, casually tying a surgical mask to her pretty face.

"Oh, they won't be coming here." 

Then she nodded to the two orderlies who stood silently at either end of Ritsuko's bed. Acting on the unspoken signal, both men suddenly grabbed Ritsuko's arms and pressed down, pinning her to the mattress. Akagi's surprised painful cry of shock was short lived as the nurse stretched across and clamped a dripping cloth over her mouth with a wet slap. Almost immediately, a thick cloying sweet dizziness engulfed her senses and her muffled protests became fainter as she quickly succumbed to the drug soaked rag.

Her last coherent thought was about Unit 01 and that god-awful grin. It seemed to watch her as she fell through the darkness, its eyes burning with malicious joy.__

_'See? They haven't forgotten about you, little doctor.' the demonic creature hissed. 'Got a nice surprise waiting…a real treat…you're going to love it. I know all about it. Oh, you'll be grinning too once they've finished with you. You'll be grinning too…'_

Then she spiralled into its gaping jaws and saw no more.

**Author's Mad Ramblings:** *whoooooo* Evil me. Ended on a cliff-hanger. *Bwahahahahahahaaa!* Gee this writing lark's like a big power trip or something…0_o  But fear not!  The next chapter is being written even as I speak. Should be done by oooooooh…say… end of June?

Juuuuuuust kidding! ^-^;

*scurries back to the keyboard before she is pelted with bricks*


	4. Part 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or GAINAX…But I can make chicken soup better than Misato!^-^

Picking Up The Pieces – Part 4 

_Sweet Dreams are made of this_

_Who am I to disagree?_

_I've travelled the world and the seven seas_

_Everybody's looking for something…_

_Some of them want to use you_

_Some of them want to get used by you_

_Some of them want to abuse you_

Some of them want to be abused 

                                                     Eurythmics-Sweet Dreams__

Somewhere lost in the darkness, Doctor Ritsuko Akagi was dreaming.

_…_

_floating…_

_…_

_I'm  floating…?_

_…_

_I'm…_

_-wheeee-_

_flooooooooating…_

_but -sniff-_

_But something…?_

_Something smells  -sniff-_

_It smells…_

Bad. 

Ritsuko groaned and tossed her head.

_It smells  like…like…_

_no…_

_Oh please no._

The doctor's confused mind gave a tiny terrified squeak.

_She was still in college, had a touch of the flu. _

_Misato had offered to nurse her better…made her…_

_putrid-vile-stinking_

_Chicken soup._

_Except, whatever her well-meaning roommate had put in that soup…_

_Sure as hell wasn't chicken._

_Chicken was not blue._

_And that smell…_

_Uhhhrgh._

_Too bad that didn't stop Misato happily spoon feeding it to her._

Ritsuko shuddered at the unwanted memory. Then the stench attacked her nostrils again, making them pucker with revulsion.

'Nnnnuh Misato! Don wan it…Guh…get it away from me!' 

The instinctual desire to escape tore through the last remaining vestigial trappings of her darkness and the doctor cracked open an eye.

Although her vision was still blurry she could hear the swish of movement in front of her. A small bottle of some stinking substance had been removed from under her nose and a shadowy figure retreated back into the gloom of the room. With a low groan Ritsuko began to stir, the dull pain from her leg announcing she was almost fully conscious. Vaguely, she half expected to be in her old college flat but then remembered that she had graduated years ago. Then it came back to her. She had been shot. Wait. Wasn't this the hospital?

"Ah good. Beauty finally awakens."

Both of Ritsuko's eyes suddenly snapped open as if she had been poked with a very sharp stick. She had heard that type of modified voice before. Then, as she slowly stared into the huge chamber that was most certainly_ not_ her hospital room, and up at the circle of black monoliths hovering above her, she regretted ever opening her eyes again.

"Good Evening, Dr Akagi," intoned the disembodied voice of SEELE 01. "We trust you have slept well?"

Momentarily struck dumb, Ritsuko fervently wished she was still in a drug-induced haze and cursed the clarity of her now, fully awake mind. Clarity brought fear and well-founded fear at that. Although, deep down, Akagi had more or less been expecting something like this to happen sooner or later, finding yourself abducted and taken, bed and all, to the meeting chamber of one of the most dangerous organisations on the planet, was still a _very _nasty shock. It seemed that the old men of SEELE had finally gotten around to tying up one of their loose ends. However, despite the cold seeping dread of waking up to such a predicament, Ritsuko was relieved to note, that at least this time around they had let her keep her clothes on.

"Where am I?" she enquired, slowly sitting up in her bed and desperately gathering as many of her thoughts as humanly possible. She knew she had to keep her wits about her if she wanted to survive their deadly games.

"Somewhere safe." answered SEELE 01. "Somewhere quiet, so we may talk."

"Oh."  

Talking with these men was about as appealing to Ritsuko as sticking poisoned daggers into her head.

"You do not sound very pleased to see us," commented the one called SEELE 05. "Though we are most pleased to see you."

"Yet, we notice you have been injured." clucked SEELE 06, full of false concern. "Now why is that we wonder?" Then his voice turned sly. "A lovers tiff perhaps?"

Ritsuko narrowed her eyes, remembering from her last encounter that SEELE 06 was the 'playful' one. "You could say that."

"Ah, but alas fair Aphrodite, love is such a fickle thing." 

Ritsuko chose to ignore the bait. 

"Why am I here?" she asked in a neutral tone.

SEELE 08 seemed to approve. "A woman quick to the point. Good." His chuckle was a modified deep throaty rumble that echoed through the chamber like distant thunder.

"Yes. Enough of the pleasantries," agreed SEELE 01, sounding completely unimpressed. "To business."

Shifting uneasily, Ritsuko steeled herself for what was to come, unaware she was gripping the bed sheets very, very tightly. The monoliths seemed to grow darker as they enclosed around her.

"We have a bone to pick with you, Dr Akagi."

Oh, that was not a good start.

"When we last met, we had set you out a simple task." began SEELE 02. "So simple that even a wretched woman such as yourself could not fail." Evidently he was still not as taken with her as the others.

SEELE 06 sighed rather dramatically, "Yet you disappointed us." 

The monoliths lapsed into silence and Ritsuko sensed this was her cue to plead her innocence. For all the good it would do her.

"I did as you asked." The blonde winced at how much she now sounded tiny and insignificant. Unlike her interrogators, there was no powerful resonating amplification distorting _her_ voice.

"You failed. Your sabotage was unsuccessful." SEELE 02 snapped waspishly.

"But I destroyed them as instructed!" The giggling of those _things_ as they dissolved was going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Not all of them. The Chamber was purged. Yet the First still remained."

"She intercepted our own catalyst," added SEELE 10. "Brought an end to the 17th and took his place."

"She ruined EVERYTHING!" SEELE 02's sudden outburst made the doctor jerk a little in her bed. Her leg did not appreciate it and she hissed with pain. Oh yes, he was definitely still not taken with her.

Ritsuko decided to keep her mouth shut, despite the need to clarify that it was in fact Gendo who had killed their precious Angel and not Rei. 

_'After all,'_ she thought bitterly, _'I should know, he used the same damn gun on me.'_

"But the point is moot." announced SEELE 01, after an uncomfortable pause. "As you are no doubt aware, Third Impact has failed."

Suddenly Ritsuko had to bite her lip in order to stop an inappropriate burble of laughter. 

_'Hah! No really? Other than the fact that none of us have been reduced to a puddle of goo, I'd never have guessed! Thanks so much for clearing that up for me Mr Chairman!' _

She nodded, desperately maintaining a neutral expression whilst mentally slapping some sense back into herself. What the hell was she doing? Now was not the time for this crap!

_'Keep it together, you idiot.  Keep. It. Together.'_

"Then tell us, Dr Akagi," snarled SEELE 02, ignorant of her brief struggle with hysteria, "Were you also aware that because the First Child has broken the prophecy, we will all now be forced to pay the consequences of her actions very soon?"

Ritsuko blinked, then frowned. "Consequences?" The word instantly set her on edge.

"Ultimate. Consequences."

"We take it you _are_ familiar with the Revelations?" enquired SEELE 07.

She was but failed to make the connection. "But we won, didn't we? Wasn't the 17th the last? I don't understand."

"Clearly." snarked SEELE 12.

"Winning is not everything, Doctor." explained SEELE 09 with obvious relish. "Without Instrumentality and the coming of the intended spiritual enlightenment, our continuation is nothing more than a hollow victory. Man has _dared_ to reach the heavens before and the _price_ has always been the same. There are no exceptions! Now the time of our _Judgement_ is at hand! They are coming back, dear Doctor. _They are coming-!_ " 

"Yes, quite so." interjected SEELE 01 before SEELE 09 went off on another one of his annoying rants. "In short, because the Third Impact has failed, the Angels are going to return."

Ritsuko felt stunned. Like she'd been bludgeoned with a brick. 

"And according to the scriptures," the monolith continued. "In less than six months, with the rise of the red moon, this world and everything in it is due to burn."

Now she felt sick. "Oh God…"

"Appropriately biblical, Dr Akagi." 

Dimly, Ritsuko suspected that she was doing a really good impression of a goldfish about now as thousands of questions raced about a mile a second through her head. How? What? Who? Where? WHY? But SEELE 01 was all ready onto the next phase of his explanation before she could start babbling. 

"However, although Mankind has indeed found itself on the brink of facing yet another regrettable extinction, we have fortunately anticipated this unhappy event and are already taking the appropriate measures." His tone was crisp with authority. "We are after all, far from helpless."

Through the haze of her shock, Ritsuko immediately understood what he was talking about. "Then the Evangelion Units, the Children, they're actually going to go through with it all again?"

The red numbers on SEELE 01 flared bright, like branded fire in the darkness.

"Once the event begins. They will have very little choice."

The listening doctor furrowed her brows. Something didn't quite ring true about that particular statement. Then it suddenly twigged.

"They don't know, do they?" Ritsuko whispered, her teeth grit with suppressed emotion. "You haven't told them." She glared up at the ominous black ring above her, but if the accusation bothered the men behind the monoliths, they certainly did not show it.

"All in good time, Dr Akagi. All in good time." SEELE 06 sounded amused.

"There is no need to inform them at this juncture." dismissed an unrepentant SEELE 11 with icy superiority. "It would serve no purpose."

"Besides there are other more…agreeable ways to prepare our young defenders for what lies ahead." reasoned SEELE 07.

"Did you happen to catch our special broadcast on the television?" asked SEELE 03. "The Evas and the Open Policy?"

Ritsuko inwardly groaned at how much her initial suspicions had been proven correct. "Then, that was you?"

"Oh, not entirely." SEELE 06 happily hinted. "Credit should be given where credit is due. In fact, we believe you know her quite well."

"Maya?" She really didn't need to guess.

"Yes. Lt Maya Ibuki is a resourceful young woman and has proven herself quite a capable idealist." confirmed SEELE 08. "We have merely adapted her original concept for our own future preparations."

"The re-construction of the Geo-Front would not have been as effective without her contribution." agreed SEELE 04.

"And of course, in matters concerning the Children, the results have been speaking for themselves." said SEELE 10.

"I see," muttered Ritsuko, feeling unsure about SEELE's interest in Maya. "So what I saw was a type of cover-up for Eva training?"

"A mere precaution," SEELE 01 replied. "It is necessary that the true nature of these 'exercises' are not divulged. The unsuspecting masses must be kept happy until the coming event. When it strikes they will turn to us rather than against us and the Children will have no other option but to comply."

"Then the Open Policy doesn't really exist?"

"On the contrary, Dr Akagi. It is quite real." countered the monolith. "And as mentioned before, quite beneficial. We have discovered that the re-construction programme in particular has been very effective for both politics and over all pilot morale."

Despite her revulsion for these evil puppet masters, Ritsuko couldn't deny her scientific curiosity. Trying to maintain the pilot's sync readings due to their ever-fluctuating mood swings had been a big bone of contention with her. "Why is that?" she asked.

"It appears that the Children simply prefer to create rather than to destroy." mused SEELE 01. "This is acceptable. It will give them all the more incentive to protect what they perceive to cherish when it is ultimately threatened."

_'Why am I not surprised?'_ the blonde sighed to herself. She suspected that SEELE would always find a way to turn something good to their twisted advantage. It didn't stop her feeling any less disgusted though. They were worse than Gendo.

"However, although Lt Ibuki's Open Policy project has been a most effective enterprise and her duty to Eva is without question, we believe that she is not fully adapted for the purpose we have in mind."

"Lt Ibuki lacks a certain…commitment." SEELE 02 grumbled.

_'In other words, she still hasn't sold her soul.' _ Ritsuko was inwardly relieved. She had been thinking nothing but the worst.

"The MAGI has also proven somewhat difficult as of late." continued SEELE 05. "Although it has formidable capabilities, it yields a bare minimum to the current operators."

"This is not acceptable. We need the full support of the MAGI if we are to succeed in our objective." stated SEELE 11.

A small smile twitched on Ritsuko's lips. _'Mother must miss me.'_  

Slowly, SEELE 01 broke away from the others and drifted closer until the monolith hovered directly above the injured woman's bed. It seemed that the Chairman wanted her full attention. 

"This is a very serious concern and one that must be addressed immediately." Although quite intimidating, his voice was surprisingly soft. "Time is of the essence. In the following months ahead we will need an experienced, more suitable candidate for this endeavour. Someone who can be trusted to understand and accept the requirements needed if we are to prevail. Someone who has _complete_ and utter commitment."

Ritsuko stared; the red glow of the numbers burned her unblinking eyes. She felt frozen under this scrutiny.

"Someone like you, Dr Ritsuko Akagi."

A thick sinking sensation gripped the pit of her stomach. She should have guessed. The words from her nightmare whispered mockingly back into her ear-

'See? They haven't forgotten about you, little doctor…' 

No. Why would they? Not while they still had a use for her.

"What about the Human Instrumentality Project?" she queried, avoiding the issue. SEELE 12 was happy to oblige her.

"The tools of that particular venture no longer exist. Our main concern is now how to survive the coming Apocalypse."

_'Yes.'  _thought Ritsuko._ 'One you sick bastards started…'_

"That is why, Dr Akagi, in light of your many notable contributions in the past, we are willing to over look our previous disappointments and offer you your freedom, effective immediately." announced SEELE 07 with the grace of a benevolent gift-giver. "If you accept, you will be re-instated as the Chief of Section-1 and Head of Project E."

"Then, you'd return me to Tokyo-3 Nerv?" she asked cautiously.

"Yes. It would almost be like a reunion." replied SEELE 05. "You would find yourself in good company. Commander Fuyutsuki is all ready looking forward to working with you once more."

Ritsuko's eyes widened at that nugget of information. 

_'**Commander** Fuyutsuki? So I was right. You really have fallen out of favour, Gendo.'_

"Of course, perhaps you would prefer to remain and rot inside your little cell." SEELE 02 suggested dangerously. "That too can be arranged, if you so desire it."

"However it would serve no purpose," commented a grave SEELE 01, still looming over her like a cold shadow. "You have an exceptionally fine mind, Ritsuko Akagi. It would be a great pity to let it waste away behind the bars of your continual imprisonment." He sounded almost genuinely regretful. "The loss of one Dr Akagi was tragic enough."

The fingers holding Ritsuko's bed sheets, clenched very tightly at the implied mention of her mother's 'accident'. 

"But ultimately the decision is up to you…"

There was an air of hungry anticipation as the monoliths silently waited for her answer. 

Ritsuko looked down at the twisted claw of her hands and focused her thoughts. Taking deep steady breathsshe began to carefully think things through. By analysing the situation she surmised that SEELE 02's threat was a hollow one. Just one of their little tricks to keep her on her toes. She severely doubted that they really would send her back to jail if she refused their offer. It would be a futile action considering their predicament. However, what worried her was the fact that they would do something much, _much_ worse. A knuckle popped as she loosened her grip and flexed some feeling back into her fingers. These men needed her. She was the best in the field, had access to powerful knowledge and was the daughter of the creator of the MAGI. 

Ritsuko grimaced._ 'No, like it or not, they want what I can provide and they're not going to simply stand idly by and let me say otherwise.'_

And if she wasn't going to comply, then she knew they would _make_ her comply, by any means possible. Ritsuko shuddered at the various nasty methods she had seen them use before. No. It was better to play the part of the dancing puppet rather than the broken slave. She was not a stupid woman and if she kept it smart, then she wouldn't be a good as dead woman either.

_'There was no real choice in the matter in the first place. They included me in their little inner circle as soon as they told me the Angels were coming back. Face it Rits, you are screwed.'_

Besides if they were so hell bent on using her, perhaps she too, could play their game.

"All right. I'll accept your offer."

"Excellent."

"Wait. On one condition."

There was a deadly pause before SEELE 01 spoke once again. They had not expected this.

"Name it."

Ritsuko took a deep breath.

"I…I want to see Gendo Ikari. I want you to take me to him."

As ultimatums went, this one was pretty lame. She could have asked for money, power, a lifetime supply of cigarettes! But no, she had to go and blurt out about wanting to see the man who had tried to shoot her stone cold dead. But she had good reason. Even though the Angels were returning and all the trauma that came with them was going to begin again, it was nothing compared to what she felt about Gendo and the mess he left behind. The Children, Misato, the evil manipulations. They could wait. This moment would be her only chance to resolve the shattered pieces of herself and she wasn't going to lose it. His last words still tormented her. She had called him a liar and his answer was a bullet. However he hadn't denied or confirmed it. God help her, but she needed closure and only seeing Gendo could provide that for her. Maybe she _was_ crazy and she needed to sort out her priorities, but damn it, as long as he wasn't all ready on a slab, he _owed_ her that much. She really had nothing else.

"Very well." The monolith conceded somewhat coldly amused. "Of course you will need to be adequately prepared for the journey. We will give you one more day to convalesce. There is a room you may use for this purpose. All we ask in return is that you accept the treatment we offer. You should find it a most effective pain reliever. We will take you to Ikari the following day. Agreed?"

What else could she say? "Agreed."

"Good. Then we shall leave you to rest, Dr Akagi. You will need your strength for tomorrow."

And just like that the meeting was over. The surrounding monoliths began to disappear back to where ever they came from.

"Farewell sweet Aphrodite." called SEELE 06 as he faded. "Oh, and Doctor?"

Ritsuko gave a weary sigh, leaning back on her pillows. She felt very, _very_ drained. "Yes?"

"_Expectes et sustineas."_

Startled, the blonde snapped her head back up but the SEELE was gone. She was still frowning as two nurses appeared out of the gloom and began to move her bed out of the dark room. 

Only SEELE 01 continued to linger.

Keel smiled as she was wheeled away. "Two down..." The monolith sank back into the shadows, leaving an empty chamber to echo his final whisper.

"One to go."

Author's Mad Ramblings: Hmmm… It looks like Ritsy has a few surprises in store for her. None of em good. Oh well, at least I let her keep her clothes on. *Yay* I'm more merciful than Anno! Sorry Psycho Pirate but…CAST FETISH??? LOL!!! Now _there's _a doujinshi just waiting to happen! O_O;; Talk about dirty ol men *ewwwwwww* And Yui's kiss was purely platonic an forgiving and stuff. Though God knows why she's so wonderful about Rits sleeping with her hubby. If I did an omake I'd have Yui bending over her as before, then she'd pop out a massive marker pen and scrawl all over Rits face ala Jiggly Puff.^-^ 

Naaaah. That's too cruel. 

Thanks for the reviews and questions you guys! I like questions!^-^v  But most of them will be answered next chapter which will feature everybody's favourite purple haired Lady of the Yebisu. Oh and a smidge of red headed angst. And maybe some guy called Shinji…And Rei will think it looks like rain…*gasp* Non-stop excitement!

Er…Better… um…go start and write it then…*gah*

The obligatory italic Latin bit: _Thou mayest hope and endure_. He's being a bit sarky because he knows something about Gendo she doesn't. Ohhh he's such a cad! *boo hiss*


	5. Part 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Evangelion or GAINAX. But I can gargle 'Fly me to the Moon' with minty mouthwash.^-^

Picking Up The Pieces – Part 5 

****

_I'm just a girl with my head screwed on_

_I'm just a girl with a smoking gun_

_I got my fingers stung_

_My fingers stung yea_

_I'm just a girl with my fingers stung_

_Bless these bones_

_Bless this skin_

_All of me and the mess I'm in_

_Yea the mess I'm in_

_But I don't care_

_Don't know where I've been_

_But I'll get me there_

                                   Eurythmics-Power To The Meek

Misato Kasuragi, the usually good-natured guardian of the Children and indispensable tactical operations chief of Nerv, was for lack of a better word, pissed off. With eyes burning bright and her long dark hair methodically swinging behind her with every stride, no one could call it anything else. The formidable woman fairly crackled with energy as she marched swiftly through the corridors of Central Dogma, the steady clip of her heels marking her passage towards the elevators. When a few straggling personnel turned and saw her coming, they got the hell out of her way. Fast. The Major looked like she could eat Angels for breakfast. 

The_ bastards_ had lied to her again.

Oh, but wait, this time it was for her own good. Yeah. Right.

Ignoring the nervous glances of passers-by, Misato jabbed the call button of the elevator door savagely. Then she folded her arms and waited, tapping her foot impatiently.

Angry thoughts rumbled through her head like a bitter storm. She should have known better. She had let her guard down and actually began to believe things were going to be okay. Well, perhaps not quite 'okay' but at least after all the trauma they had gone through with the Angel War, it seemed they were finally getting a break. Especially from all the dirty little secrets.

So much for that wishful thinking.

Growling, Misato pounded the green-lit call button without mercy. _'Comeoncomeoncomeon you stupid thing!'_  This elevator was taking its own damn sweet time. Everything in this place was against her. She hated Nerv.

_'So why are you still here?' _something deep inside whispered,_ ' For the Children?'_

Yes. Yes that was right. She was here for the Children. 

_'Not all of them.' _

The meaning behind that accusation cut through Misato like a knife. Despite the fact she was not wholly to blame, the guilt insidiously worming its way back into her mind begged to differ. It was not the first time. This unhappy phantom, usually dealt with by drinking liberal amounts of alcohol, was like an old unwanted companion that would never leave her. Not since Second Impact. This was her constant reminder of all those lost chances and regrets, and now although it wasn't truly justified, she had one more name to add to her list of perceived sins. Completely unbidden, her thoughts began to fester with the repetitive litany of her excuses- It wasn't her fault. She didn't know. She was recovering from the shock of Ikari's insane attempt to activate Third Impact. They said she was in Germany, damn it! And she had been too busy with the others. Always too busy. 

The metal doors slid open with a small apologetic 'ping' and the troubled Major walked in.

Thankfully, apart from some tinkling background music, it was empty.

Noting that no one else was entering, Misato turned to press the number of the floor she needed to go. However as her finger inched towards the panel, it seemed to hesitate then magically drift across to the Garage Level button at the bottom. Misato stared at the temptation and considered the far more appealing possibility of getting into her car and driving away. Far away. And maybe taking a little time to think things through. Perhaps she could come back later or maybe even deal with it tomorrow. It's not like one more day would make much of a difference anyway.

Appalled, the Major frowned then shook her head at the cowardly train of thought she was entertaining. It seemed Shinji was not the only one to have the monopoly on 'running away' and this was, to be frank, pathetic.

_'Some guardian you are.'_

With a sudden sharp angry movement, Misato jerked her finger up and pressed down hard enough to hurt. Now that the decision was made she released a repressed grunt and leaned against the wall, unconsciously hugging her arms very close to her body. As the music in the small metal compartment played its cheesy little tune, Misato watched the numbers lazily tick by on the indicator above the doors and calculated the minutes it would take to get to her destination. Nerv, she knew, ran very, _very_ deep. A momentary glance at her watch confirmed it had taken a lot less time than she had initially expected to angrily stride over to the elevators. Judging from the distance, that was almost a record. But it wasn't as impressive as how fast her one-day off had turned to shit.

****

Shinji had just been off the phone to remind her for the umpteenth time that she was to pick him up after his music group outside the school grounds, when she got the call. Although Misato was pleased the boy had obviously changed for the better, his attempts to make his point was really beginning to grate. Just because it sort of slipped her mind the last two Sundays didn't mean she was going senile, as he was oh-so-innocently suggesting. The yellow post-it stuck to her car the next day was just the start of Shinji's helpful campaign of 'little reminders'. Over the course of the week, she had found notes on her jacket, in her boots, on her office door, in amongst her reports, on Maya's clipboard and even at the bottom of her coffee cup. Deciding not to confront him directly, as that would have led to an admission of guilt which she most certainly had no intention of making, Misato instead took it one step further and confiscated all the post-its her authority allowed and made damn sure Shinji couldn't buy more. Thinking that had showed him, she was completely unprepared for the phone calls. He had made about five since yesterday, all very polite and hesitant but still mainly about the same thing. Don't forget to pick him up Sunday. If she didn't know better, she'd swear he was teasing her. But then, when it came to teasing, Shinji had, after all, learned from the best. However, the feeling of pride Misato secretly harboured wasn't enough to stop her finally reaching her boiling point. It was time to nip this game in the bud. So it was understandable that when the phone rang again, she grabbed it, glared at the receiver with a mad little twinkle in her eye, took a deep breath and screamed-"AAAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!"

Thankfully the commander on the other end was not Gendo.

Stuttering her apologises and inwardly throttling a grinning Third Child, Misato didn't hesitate to wonder why she had been ordered to report to the commander's office. Completely on autopilot, she just threw herself out of bed, cancelled that nice long hot bath she had promised herself and started getting ready. A quick hop, skip and jump through her usual morning routine and Misato was speeding towards the Geo-Front faster than she could say 'Yebisu'. Which was about as close as she'd get to her lovely beer since she had lost Maya's stupid bet and had to swear off it for a month. On reflection, she should never have goaded Rei into that staring match.

When the Major finally arrived, she briefly caught herself expecting to walk into a dark gloomy room. Like everything else since the incident, it was still taking her some time to get used to the changes. That, and the fact someone had actually turned on the lights. The place looked warmer with the benefit of this new soft glow. There was no brooding oppressive atmosphere. No cold interrogative spotlight. The room was less sombre and a lot more welcoming. Of course, the ridiculously huge desk was still there, but that had been moved to lie across the far wall and now made a pretty good display table for a variety of interesting ornaments. It was apparent that the new commander preferred a more humble old-fashioned type of furniture. He also had a passion for books, many of which lined the walls behind him and managed to give the distinct impression of a small invading library. Overall this was a far cry from the barren spartan office of the past and it certainly seemed to suit the quiet academic man. Misato noted that Fuyutsuki kept the chair though. Considering all the standing around he used to do, she guessed he had always wanted that chair. Another change, which was hard to ignore, was the sinister diagram of the Tree of Life was gone. This would have been fine, except for the fact it was now replaced with some kind of huge broken mask with seven eyes. The same mask the white giant on the cross used to wear and the only thing that was left after it disappeared. Misato was told it had dissolved into LCL during the failed attempt at Third Impact, but no one really understood why. As far as Katsuragi was concerned, she was just glad it was gone. To her, that was truly the last of the Angels and the last of her demons. She still didn't like that mask though. The way those wide staring eyes gazed down from the ceiling gave her the creeps. It was like they followed you around the room. Watching. She honestly wondered how the commander could stand it. 

The man in question was sitting behind his desk busily immersed in paperwork, when she walked in. He looked stern as he concentrated and Misato worried if she had done anything wrong. She wracked her memory and could think of nothing. Well…except maybe for those boxes of post-its she 'acquisitioned' the other day. But she was intending to return them. At least so she could get back into her damn office. The stupid things had taken all the space up!

Fully aware he now had company, Fuyutsuki glanced up from his thick open folder and gave his visitor a small terse smile. "Thank you for coming so quickly, Major Katsuragi. I understand this was your time off."

Misato stood at full military attention, suddenly very glad that she had decided to dress in her rank uniform rather than give into the temptation of civvies. "Not a problem, sir." 

"At ease, Major." Kouzou proffered a hand, indicating one of two chairs before her. "Please. Take a seat. We are just waiting for Doctor Akagi to arrive."

"Thank you, sir." Although this was now a common courtesy, it still felt strange sitting down in the commander's office. In the past, the only one who had done the sitting was Gendo, and even then he still some how managed to make you feel small. It seemed Fuyutsuki wasn't too bothered with that approach. Either that, or he simply didn't want to develop a crick in his neck. As she settled, Misato noticed the absence of the sub-commander. David Molinari was another completely new addition to Nerv and Misato wasn't sure what to make of him. The African-American seemed to be a soft-spoken thoughtful man, someone who obviously read up on his Japanese culture and appreciated the experiences that came from adjusting to being in a new country. Yet there was a certain something she couldn't quite put her finger on. He also seemed…distant. Like he was merely going through the motions. He was very good at his job though. The little incident where he took immediate control over negotiations involving a brief terrorist hostage situation at the JSSDF camp, demonstrated an accomplished tactical mind. There was clearly more to Molinari than met the eye.

That had happened a mere week after he had been introduced to Nerv. The increase of terrorist activity was hardly surprising. They lived in worrying times and incredible as it was for Misato to believe, not everyone was convinced that the Angels had been the enemy. Some people actually insisted it was Nerv who was wrong and not the immense beings they once desperately fought against. These people tended to get rather passionate about their beliefs. During the Angel War, Gendo had kept these 'objectors' under his firm thumb and the few that foolishly tried to cross his line were mercilessly dealt with. But now that it was all finished, the objectors were starting to emerge from whatever rock they had crawled under. Complete, of course, with justified righteous fury since the Angels had lost. Katsuragi briefly considered that this might be the reason she was called. The Children would make excellent targets.

While Misato mulled this unpleasant thought over, Fuyutsuki returned to writing in his folder. 

"I trust the Open Policy arrangement with the pilots is going well?" he asked whilst scribbling down some notes.

The Major jerked slightly in surprise. Ikari usually left you stewing in an uncomfortable silence until the itch to scream "I'm right here!" and wave your hands in front of his face became an almost over powering urge. She had to keep reminding herself things were different now. 

"Oh. Um. Yes sir." she replied after a slight stutter. "Both Rei and Shinji have adapted to the program. In fact I'd say they've excelled beyond the program's expectations."

The Commander nodded, never taking his eyes away from his work. Misato suspected that he already knew about the Children's tests and this was just merely talking shop. The old man was being a lot more gracious than his predecessor. Still, now that she thought about it, she did wonder about those results. It was both encouraging and _very_ disconcerting. Especially when one considered that aside from Unit 02, the rest were now barren entities. Soulless golems. And yet they still moved. 

Fuyutsuki turned a page.

"And the completion of the Geo-Front construction?"

Misato watched his pen weave across the open folder and wondered what he was working on. 

"Less than a month at best."

"Glad to hear it." the Commander commented with a touch of relief Misato could relate with. She was not the only one sick of all the banging and drilling in the place. No matter how good the help was with the Evas, they were still at the mercy of many electricians and tech restoration workers. At least their security hadn't been compromised. It seemed the JSSDF were good for something, other than getting in her way of course.

"And how are the Children at home? Are they settling in?" 

Katsuragi inwardly groaned. He asked this every time he saw her. "Everything's fine, sir." 

Suddenly Fuyutsuki's pen froze.

"Really? You sounded otherwise on the phone."

A little thrown by the change in the routine, Misato blinked then blushed a little. She should have known better than to hope he was going to let _that_ slide. "Ahhh…er…"

"Anything you wish to tell me, Major?" Fuyutsuki regarded the woman with an expression that made her feel like squirming in her seat. "Oh, that was nothing serious, sir. Really." She nervously scratched the back of her head and mumbled. "Shinji's just been teasing me a little, that's all."

The Commander raised a grey eyebrow. That was news to him. "May I ask in what way?"

It took around five minutes to fully explain the situation but by the end of it Fuyutsuki's shoulders were shaking with barely repressed amusement.

"Ah. I see." he murmured, returning to his writing. "It seems boys will be boys after all."

_'A royal pain in the ass, more like.'_ Misato thought. Then she grinned. _'Aw, who am I trying to kid?'_

Abruptly, her train of thought was interrupted by the swish of the automatic door and the steady thump of someone limping into the room. Both occupants paused and turned their heads slightly to watch a dark haired lady slowly make her way towards the commander's desk. Despite being forced to use crutches, she somehow still managed to look poised and professional. 

"Sorry I'm late," Ritsuko said, inching closer to the empty seat left for her. "The synch tests took a little longer than I expected."

Aware of the difficulties of her injury, Misato shifted so the other woman could lower herself into the chair with more ease. She knew from experience that crutches were not the most flexible of things. While Akagi settled, the Commander used the opportunity to tidy up. "That's understandable, Doctor." he replied, closing his mysterious folder and tucking it away in a drawer. "And how were they?" He laced his hands together in a polite attentive manner.

Ritsuko wiped the sweat from her forehead, brushing her dark brown fringe and leaned her crutches against the desk. "Well, the ratio for Rei could do with a lot more improvement," she stated with a sigh. "She's not even scratched her old optimum record." The doctor dug into her lab coat pockets and brought out a battered packet of cigarettes. "We're going to have to run some more start-up tests in a few hours just to be sure."

Misato's ears pricked at the sound of that. Although she was glad her friend had survived being shot and was seemingly on the mend, Katsuragi still trusted Ritsuko Akagi, blonde or not, about as far as she could throw her. Which in itself was very tempting sometimes, _especially_ when it concerned one of her 'kids'. After that very revealing incident in the clone chamber they once shared, Misato doubted anyone could blame her. "But I thought everything checked out." she queried in what she hoped was a nonchalant manner. "Was I wrong?"

"May I?" the doctor asked the Commander, indicating the cigarette and now a lighter poised between her fingers. Although he frowned, Fuyutsuki slid a glass ashtray towards her as his reply.

Ritsuko gratefully lit up and took a long deep lungful of smoke before addressing Misato. "Oh, don't worry, it did." she waved a dismissive hand. "We just want to determine if this is a case of pilot readjustment or a system configuration. You know yourself how twitchy Unit 00 can be."

The Major gave a slight nod of agreement, recalling the last time Unit 00 started acting up. It nearly tore half the cage apart. A cold shudder ran down her spine. Yeah, that was some 'twitch'. At least nothing like that had happened with the newly rebuilt version of the Eva. Well, at least not yet.

Still. She had to ask. "What does Rei think about this?"

Ritsuko narrowed her eyes, but kept her peace. She had a lot worse to endure than her friend's sadly misguided delusion that they all still had a choice. "As I believe we have already discussed Major," she flicked ash into the ashtray, "Pilot Ayanami is fully aware of the importance of this matter and is happy to assist us in these tests." Her clipped response was like a textbook statement. One she found herself using a lot with the tactical operations chief these days. The end of her cigarette burned red as she briefly sucked for more nicotine.

Unsurprisingly, Misato did not look convinced.

"And what about the Third Child?" asked Fuyutsuki, noting, not for the first time, the slight tension between the two women but dismissing it for now. "Does he also require further testing?"

"Oh, there's no need." the Doctor replied in a lighter tone. "He's doing just fine. In fact Shinji's increased by 4% since last week."

"Really?" exclaimed Misato. Despite her initial disapproval, she still couldn't keep the squeak of enthusiasm from her voice.

Ritsuko's lips curled into a tiny smile. "Yes. Quite impressive. I'd say he's had a bit of a confidence boost. It certainly shows in his ratio readings."

_'Yeah,'_ thought Misato, reminding herself not to kill Shinji for his teasing after all._ 'I just bet it does.'_

"That's good to hear, Doctor." commented Fuyutsuki approvingly. "Then I take it we are running on schedule?"  

"Absolutely, sir." Then she paused, flicked more ash into the ashtray, and then ploughed on. "But there is still that concern about the Second Child."

There was a sharp intake of breath at the mention of the name. 

"Do you mean…_Asuka?_"

The Commander leaned forward on his desk and pointedly ignored the surprised expression on Misato's face. "It is actually the subject of Ms Sohryu I called you here to speak to you about, Major." 

Misato blinked, trying to process this unexpected turn of events. "Sir?" 

"She's awake now." Ritsuko supplied softly. "She's no longer catatonic."

Although the Doctor looked sombre, as if she was telling them bad news, Misato was too preoccupied with one thought to notice.

_'Asuka's awake?'_

Suddenly the Major's face split into a huge grin. "That's great!" she exclaimed, bursting into life. "When did it happen? Was it today?" 

_'Wait till I tell Shinji!'_

"No." replied Fuyutsuki flatly. "It was fourteen days ago."

Misato's grin froze. "What?"

"Actually," corrected the Doctor, "To be more precise, it was two weeks, six days and fifteen hours since patient Sohryu's awakening. Give or take a few variables."

Misato stared at Ritsuko, not appreciating that particular update. "What do you mean two weeks ago?" she repeated stiffly. 

"Exactly that." replied the brunette calmly. "She's up now and off the life support." Then she added quietly. "We been treating her in a special isolated medical room situated in the Cranial Ward here at Nerv."

The Major's eyes widened. "Then, she's back from Germany?" This was one bombshell after another.

Shifting in her chair a little uneasily, Ritsuko shook her head. "Not quite."

"_Not quite?_" hissed Misato, clearly unhappy. She was about a second away from grabbing her ex-roommate. 

"What Doctor Akagi means, is that Ms Sohryu was never actually 'away' in order for her to come 'back' in the first place." the Commander interjected with cold authority, "Contrary to what you believe, Asuka Langley Sohryu never went to Germany, Major."

If Misato seemed liked she was surprised before, she now looked like she'd just been slapped. With an Eva. However, despite her shock, Fuyutsuki could still see that formidable tactical brain churning behind her eyes, putting two and two together. "But…that's…" She couldn't believe it. "Are you saying that Asuka's been _here_ all along?"

There was an uncomfortable pause before the Commander spoke again.

"Yes."

A muscle on the Major's jaw jumped.

"All this time?"

"All this time."

Kouzou watched the young woman carefully as she digested that piece of news.

"But…but that can't be possible…" she desperately reasoned. "You told me yourself over a month ago that she had been sent back to the Berlin branch." Misato pointed an accusing finger. "_You_ said it was for the best, that she'd be with people who could help her! I even saw her off on the damn plane!"

Fuyutsuki wore an unreadable expression. "That is true, Major." he agreed. "I had every intention to see that Ms Sohryu's treatment was given the highest priority in her home country. However, there had been a change of plans and so the girl was returned and now remains here."

"Then why wasn't I informed about this?" Misato demanded, somehow managing to keep her voice level. "Why didn't anyone tell me about this change of plans?"

"It was out of your jurisdiction, Major and no longer your concern."

Misato clenched her fists, willing herself not to shout at her commanding officer. "But sir, I'm Asuka's appointed guardian. How can you say it doesn't concern me?" 

"You are only the guardian of the Children, Major Katsuragi." Fuyutsuki patiently explained. "As Ms Sohryu's pilot status had already been revoked due to her inability to synch with her Eva, she ceased to be the Second Child and thus was no longer a part of your guardianship." Despite the cold-hearted policy he was condoning, the Commander sounded all too reasonable. "It is only because of the intervention of her legal guardians that Ms Sohryu has been allowed to remain in Nerv. She is now under the direct jurisdiction of Doctor Akagi and her medical team."

To her credit, Ritsuko managed not to flinch as Misato bristled beside her. "You knew about this all along, didn't you?"

"Only since my return three weeks ago."

"Then why didn't you come to me when she woke up?" There was a lot of bitter disappointment behind those words. "I would have had at least liked to have known how she was doing."

"I know." Ritsuko admitted. "And I'm sorry, Misato. But I'm afraid that wasn't possible."

The Major grit her teeth, biting back her anger. "Why?"

The brunette frowned, took one last drag from her cigarette then crushed it in the ashtray. "Do you remember the attack of the 15th Angel and how it affected the Second Child?" she offered.

Misato glared back in silence. That burning flash of light and the sound of Asuka screaming over and over again was something she was not liable to forget. Ever. Ritsuko swallowed, recalling her own feelings of helplessness and horror on that day. "All right, stupid question." she murmured, and then gathered her thoughts, slipping into lecture mode. "Well, it seems that afterwards we had highly underestimated the extent of the damage its assault had inflicted on Asuka's mind. The post-examination results indicated there would be no residual affect upon her psyche, but we failed to take into account that it may have accelerated a negative condition all ready present in the pilot prior to the attack." She sighed. "One that I'm afraid resulted in the catatonia, among other symptoms."

Misato's brow furrowed, not liking what she was hearing. "Other symptoms?"

Ritsuko rubbed the bridge of her nose in weary agitation. "To be blunt, psychologically speaking, Asuka is not well, Misato. The child is suffering from a complete mental breakdown."

"But you said she was awake."

"That doesn't mean she's better. In fact over the course of the two weeks since she emerged from her catatonic state, she's been far from recovering." There was more than a hint of frustration in the Doctor's voice. "Which was why we deemed it necessary not to inform you until now. How do you think the other children would have reacted if they knew about this? As I understand it, they were in a very precarious mental state themselves up until recently."

The Major was not impressed. "So you kept it a secret from me…from us?"  

"Oh, don't be so melodramatic! We are not an organisation of monsters you know!" Ritsuko snapped, a little exasperated. "You would have been informed sooner if you had not already been under more strenuous obligations. Considering the circumstances we just felt it was best to allow you and the other Children time to adjust."

_'Yeah, Ritsu.'  _Misato thought, schooling her features into an empty neutral expression._ 'In other words, ignorance was bliss.'_

 "I see." she replied crisp and even.

'I don't know you people at all.'

Suddenly Misato stood up.

"What are you doing, Major?" Akagi asked in surprise.

"I'm going to see Asuka. That's what this is all about isn't it?"

"Now?" Ritsuko almost spluttered. "But we need to discuss a way of approaching this carefully. You can't just barge in there!"

Misato narrowed her eyes. "Watch me."

The doctor briefly exchanged a beseeching glance at the commander who simply raised an eyebrow. It was her call.

"Well, you won't get far without this." Ritsuko fished out a small black plastic square from her pocket and brandished it like a winning card. "You'll need this. It will give you all the necessary clearance. And I'm not about to give it to you until you've read the medical reports." She pointed to the chair with an air of finality. "So sit back down, Major. We're not finished yet."

Misato however, smiled then lean down very close to Ritsuko until their noses were almost touching. "I have a better idea." she said, soft and dangerously. "Give me the keycard while I'm still asking nicely."

The Doctor met her glare for glare, refusing to be intimidated. "Not until you've read the reports, Misato."

"Give me the keycard, Ritsuko." The Major growled, holding out her hand politely.

"Misato…"

"Give her the keycard, Doctor." Fuyutsuki said, slightly startling both women. It was clear from his loud tone that he had made it a command and not a request. For a moment Ritsuko looked torn, like she was going to say something, but the grim expression on the man made her think twice.

"Fine." she muttered in defeat and handed it over.

Misato took the keycard then turned to the Commander. "I'd like to go now to see her, sir. I've heard enough."

Fuyutsuki regarded his subordinate with silent consideration. He would have also preferred it if she had read the reports, it would have helped prepare her. But unlike the good doctor he knew forcing her was not going to do them any favours. It was clear the Major was no longer in the mood to listen. Not that it mattered. They were still getting what their superiors wanted either way. There really wasn't anything else to do, except clarify some facts. 

"Understand Major, while I sympathise with you concerning the Children's best interests at heart, I also expect the up most co-operation from those under my command." Fuyutsuki stated firmly. "This was a classified matter. Nothing more. It would do you well to keep that in mind in future."

Misato nodded, indicating her agreement.

"Very well. In this case I see no reason to deny your request. I hope you can help her." he sighed, pleased that she had maintained an adherence to _some_ protocol. At least with him. "Dismissed Major."

With a face set as still as stone, Misato snapped a respectful salute then turned on her heel and marched briskly to the door.

"If you wait, I can escort you there!" Ritsuko called out, hastily wrestling with her crutches and struggling to rise on shaky legs. But Misato was already out the room before the crippled woman could stand.

****

The hum of the elevator was slowing and Misato noted she would be there soon. Absentmindedly, she gazed at the keycard, musing with bitter irony that it had to be black. Just like her overall mood. She should never have left Asuka.

_'So why did you?'_ something inside hissed back.

Misato closed her eyes, frowning at her thoughts. That really was the last thing she wanted to think about right now. 

_'Coward.' _her guilt sneered. And it was right.

Before she could dwell on it, the elevator shuddered to a stop and the metal doors slowly slid opened. Almost immediately the bitter tang of strong lemon disinfectant and sour chemicals assailed her nostrils, making her wince. God, she hated hospitals. Misato clutched the piece of black plastic hard, gathering her resolve. More than anything now, Asuka needed her. She didn't know what Nerv were playing at pulling this cloak and dagger shit, but right at this moment she didn't really care. She had more pressing priorities and for what it was worth, she was here now. It was time to get to the bottom of this.

With a deep breath, the Major stepped out the elevator and walked into the stark whiteness of the Nerv Cranial Ward.

****

Although it was a given fact that during the Angel War a great deal of damage had been inflicted upon the land, the records would no doubt also add even though it was most disturbing, it was not all together unexpected. When giant god like titanic monsters started dropping down into your neighbourhood on a regular basis, it really should come as no surprise to anyone you were going to end up redrawing the map. So with that in mind, it was a minor miracle that amongst this entire world shattering destruction, explosions and mighty battles, a small insignificant patch of green earth somehow managed to remain safe and completely untouched. However, it was nothing short of bloody amazing that the watermelons growing in this little garden were not even bruised and were also quite happily flourishing under the tender care of two Evangelion pilots. Well…one anyway. The other wouldn't have been able to grow as much of a bean sprout to save himself let alone a watermelon. Not for lack of trying of course.

The pale girl watched her companion enthusiastically water his little plot of seedlings with slightly anxious crimson eyes.  They had first started meeting here after their Eva duties about five weeks ago and were now its two sole gardeners. Shinji had originally just wanted to show her the place, but somehow it seemed wrong to leave it neglected and so they had decided to carry on the good work. At first she wasn't sure what to feel about doing something she had never done before. But as she tentatively joined in with the digging, she found to her surprise that she was experiencing a strong sense of belonging. After that, it didn't take very long for Rei Ayanami to decide she liked this thing called 'gardening'. Since the watermelons were doing so well, they had agreed to try extending the garden and plant something else. Misato, pleased they had taken up such a responsibility, gave them each a blank packet of seeds she had found lying around somewhere. In her typical carefree fashion, the Major admitted she really didn't know what they were but she figured it might provide an interesting change for them. It also didn't stop her hoping that with any luck it might turn out to be something alcoholic. Although both Children somehow doubted they were going to be growing Yebisu trees, they appreciated the sentiment and happily accepted the challenge. Shinji in particular was very keen to see just what marvels the little seeds were going to reveal. Unfortunately if he kept up the more than liberal sprinkling, the way he was doing now, all he was going to end up with was turgid mud.

Deciding it was her solemn duty not to let that unhappy event happen, Rei reached out and softly touched Shinji's arm. "I think that is sufficient, Ikari."

The boy though, didn't look too convinced. "Are you sure, Rei? Perhaps they need a little more, just in case."

"And perhaps they need a little less." she advised, gently but firmly taking the watering can from his hand. "I do not think your seeds can do the backstroke just yet."

Shinji grinned at the little jab. A month ago and he would have stared in open-mouthed disbelief. Two months ago and he might have fainted. But a lot had happened since then. One of many of them being, somewhere along the line, Rei had developed a sense of humour. Not that she was in the habit of running around cracking jokes or anything like that. But she was most definitely coming out of that shell of hers, at least when she was around him. Rei also happened to be very good at gardening. Far better than him at any rate. He looked at her patch of little green shoots with a touch of awe. 

"I guess you know what you're talking about Rei. Yours are looking pretty good." 

Rei brushed her hand delicately over the tiny emerging leaves. "The credit is more due to the richness of the soil than what I could achieve." she explained, and then offered him a sympathetic barely perceivable smile. "Do not be discouraged, Ikari. I am sure your seeds will grow soon."

Shinji scratched his head and sighed. "Maybe. But I still reckon you've got a bit of a green thumb for this."

Rei blinked then looked down at her hands with a frown. "But my thumb has no discolouration." she murmured.

The boy chuckled nervously. "No, I mean, um… it's an expression, Rei. It means you're good at gardening and have a knack with plants and stuff."

"Ah." Understanding alighted her face. "I see."

"I think Kaji might have had a green thumb as well." Shinji mused, warming to his theory. "He certainly did a great job before we came here."

"Yes." The girl agreed, and then lapsed back into a quiet mood as she inspected her seedlings. Unlike the old days, this did not cause an awkward feeling for the boy. After everything they had gone through together, they were now both quite comfortable in each other's company.

"Ikari?"

However it was not every day Rei broke their silence first. Shinji turned from his own inspections to face her.

"Yes, Rei?"

"What was Mr Ryoji like?"

Shinji looked a little surprised at the question. "Didn't you ever meet him?" he asked then mentally kicked himself. Of course she hadn't met him. She was the Third Rei. Kaji was long gone before that. "Sorry." he winced.

"No. It is all right." she assured, and then frowned a little. "But yes. Now that I recall, I believe my sister had met him once."

"Really?"

Rei's habit of referring to her other clone's memories as her 'sister' was still a little unnerving for Shinji. But he decided long ago that if she was happy enough to think of herself as an individual with the memories of another girl's life, then he wasn't going to hold it against her. She was still his friend no matter who she really was.

"Yes. It was after my…I mean my sister's Unit 01 cross activation briefing with the commander. She was advised to eat something and so she was sitting alone at the cafeteria when Mr Ryoji addressed her."

Rei cocked her head slightly, her eyes staring blank and unseeing as the event unlocked deep within her mind.

"He sat across from her and attempted conversation." the girl narrated in a flat tone. "He asked her how she was feeling about the test and she told him that the commander and doctor were confident that this activation would be successful. He shook his head and said he had asked how she was feeling, not her superiors. She told him it did not matter how she felt. He smiled then as if he did not believe her and commented that there was someone who might have something very different to say about that. Then he noticed Major Katsuragi and excused himself in a hurried manner. My sister suspected he was interested in pursuing her for some reason. He wished her luck before he left."

Rei remembered his parting words had caused an intense feeling of confusion.

"His words struck my sister as odd and she spent her remaining time wondering who he was referring to. Then she went for her cross activation test and thought no more about it."

The girl blinked as if coming out of a trance. "She never saw Mr Ryoji again."

Shinji felt a slight pang of regret as he listened. He still missed Kaji a lot.

"I guess he was trying to say people cared for you, er…I mean your sister, Rei." he offered. "But had to be careful how to tell her in case Father…well, you know."

It didn't take much of a stretch of her imagination to guess what he meant.

"Yes. I know."

"Anyway, Kaji said the same to me in a way." Shinji admitted, thinking back fondly. "He told me to be strong and face my responsibility. He really helped me when I needed to talk about stuff."

"But what about Ms Katsuragi?" Rei asked. "Did she not also talk to you?"

"Oh, she was great too." Shinji hastily amended. "But she couldn't help me with, um…the other things, Rei."

Rei raised an eyebrow. "Other things?"

The boy could feel his cheeks getting a little hot. "Guy…things." 

The girl just stared. "Oh." 

"Anyway, to answer your question, he was a good man, Rei. And a good friend." He indicated the watermelons. "And an amazing gardener! Did you know he didn't even stop watering these guys during an Angel attack?"

Rei wasn't sure what to think about that. "That is quite…dedicated." 

Shinji nodded his head. "Kaji really loved this garden."

"Then I am glad we can continue to care for it in his memory." Rei said sincerely.

Shinji smiled in agreement, but then it seemed to disappear as his thoughts turned to someone else he also missed. "She never saw it, you know."

"Who?"

"Asuka."

Almost immediately the blur of a shouting red haired girl flashed through Rei's mind. Although she had never met this person, she had a distinct feeling that it would not be pleasant if she did.

"She loved Kaji but she never saw this garden. Not once." Shinji continued softly. "I think that's kind of sad."

"Then we should take her and show her." Rei proposed, putting her own personal misgivings aside. "When she returns." she added reasonably. 

"Yeah." Shinji smiled a little wistfully, and then leaned back so he was lying on the grass. "I think she would like that."

The boy stretched and looked up at the sky, obviously deep in thought. Knowing Shinji tended to get slightly melancholic whenever he mention the other pilots, Rei watched for a few moments then copied his movements so she was lying beside him. She would be there for him if he needed her. With the care of the garden momentarily forgotten, the two Children lay side-by-side, basking in the warm summer sun and shared another contented silence together. As time passed, Shinji's eyes grew heavy and the hazy breeze began to make him sleepy. He almost absentmindedly started to drift as he gazed at the clouds and used his finger to draw lazy circles in the air. However just as he was about to close his eyes, he was snapped out of this hypnotic day dreaming by a soft yet incredulous whisper.

"What are you doing Ikari?" 

Startled, Shinji glanced to his left to see that Rei was scrutinising him with a very puzzled expression. 

"Oh. I was er…drawing a rabbit." he said, and then grimaced at how stupid that must have sounded. Shinji pointed to the sky. "You know, up in the clouds?" 

Rei looked at the sky but then back at Shinji still confused.

"Can't you see the shape?" he asked.

The puzzled expression deepened. "I do not think so…"

"Haven't you ever made shapes in the clouds before?"

Rei slowly shook her head.

"Never?" Shinji looked amazed. He thought everyone knew about this one. Rei cast her eyes downwards in a self-conscious manner not sure what to say.  

"Er…Would you like me to show you?" the boy offered, hoping he hadn't upset her. "I can if you want."

The girl paused, then nodded and Shinji took that as his cue to hesitantly but gently take her hand in his. The flesh of her palm felt very cool against his skin. "Just point your finger like I was doing. That's it." He moved Rei's hand so it was in front of a certain cloud above her eye line.

"Um, okay. See, there's the ears." Slowly, he guided her finger up and down, tracing the outline of two fluffy like lumps.

"And that's kind of like the body. I guess." The imaginary line now moved carefully around the main mass of white before them.

"And that's definitely a tail." He circled her finger around a blob of cloud perched at the bottom.

Granted although it wasn't _really_ a rabbit and just a suggestion of shape, almost like an abstract illusion, Rei's mouth still dropped open with pure astonishment. It was true. She could see it now. "I…I never knew…" she breathed.

"I used to do this a lot when I was younger. It's kind of like a game." Shinji smiled. "Want to do another one?"

Rei nodded a lot more vigorously than last time. Before he could choose a cloud she was already pointing up at the sky. "What is that one like?"

Shinji squinted. "Hmmm, that one looks a little like a rhino. Or it could be a really fat unicorn." He traced the outline as before and Rei gazed at it with open wonder. 

"And this one?" She quickly pointed to something else.

"Oh, that's got a fin so it has to be a really big fish. Maybe a whale?" Shinji suggested, enjoying the obvious enthusiasm radiating from his quiet friend. They should play this game more often.

"And this?"

"Hey, that's a lot like a cello or…WAITAMINUTE!"

Abruptly Shinji sat up breaking their contact and slapped his forehead as one thought seared into his brain. 

_'Music group!'_

He looked at his watch with alarm. "AH! Only ten minutes! Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

The girl propped herself with her elbows and watched curiously as he scrabbled to his feet and quickly dusted himself down. 

"Rei, I'm really sorry, but I've got to go!"

Suddenly the flurry of activity made sense. "Of course. Today is Sunday." she murmured. "I apologise, Ikari. I should have remembered…"

"No, don't worry about it Rei. It's not your fault." Shinji hastily looked around himself and patted his pockets to see he had everything. "Will you be okay here?"

"Yes, I will be fine."

"Okay then, sorry, but I've really got to go now!" Shinji waved then rushed off with a burst of speed. "Bye, see you later back at the flat!"

"Take care, Ikari." Rei waved back and watched as he ran pell-mell down the steep grassy hill. She waited until she could no longer see the tiny white dot of his shirt bobbing in the distance before lying back down.

Ominously, several thick grey tendrils had appeared and were now trailing across the sky. Rei shivered as the light of the day, once so bright and agreeable, quickly turned darker, casting the land below in cold shadow. A strong wind ruffled the girl's hair as she sat up, staring at this sudden change in the weather with suspicion. There was something wrong here. With a sense of prickling unease, Rei slowly turned around. Then her eyes widened with crimson shock.

_There was a face within the clouds._

However, unlike the mere suggestion of a shape, this face was fully formed, massive and staring right back at her with its own inhuman eyes. All seven of them. Suddenly something moist hit Rei's forehead and forced her to blink. It was only less than a second, but when she looked again the face was gone. With a kind of single-minded intensity she had rarely felt before, Rei leapt to her feet and scanned the unfriendly sky. But despite her efforts there was nothing left to see except an endless slate of grey. There wasn't even an outline to trace. While she searched, more and more droplets fell from the heavens and began to pit pat on the ground, rapidly soaking the grass beneath her feet.

"It looks like…like rain." she whispered, feeling the icy wetness sting against her skin and damping the cotton of her school uniform.

But rather than run for cover, Rei stayed standing in the garden and kept watching the sky.

****

Author's Mad Ramblings- OMG!!! It's Chapter 5 at last!!! *sob* I'm so happy I could cry. ;_;  

Now that took a big ass long time!!!

Bad chapter 5! 

No biscuit for you! 

*****slap*

I need to lie down now before the shock of finally finishing this thing KILLS me. 

Chapter 6 will reveal just what the hell's going on with Asuka, Ritsuko begs and Shinji's gonna get wet. Really, really wet.

 *thud* x_x


End file.
